Blackbird
by artemis15sc
Summary: Andromeda knows who she is, but when she's forced into an arranged marriage, she dreams of being something else. Enter Ted Tonks, the spontaneous muggleborn with a quirky grin and a habit of showing up at the worst of times. He's everything she never wanted, but she's still drawn to him. Though with the darkness rising around them, now may not be the best time to learn to fly.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Since I couldn't resist having Andromeda, Bellatrix, and the Marauders at school at the same time, I played with the ages a bit. Bellatrix, Rabastan, and Rodolphus are in their 7th year, Andromeda and Ted are in sixth, and The Maruaders and Narcissa Black are in they're fifth. Thanks!

To previous readers of this story. Some scenes have been added or re-ordered, but it's essentially the same.

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><p><em>All I've ever wanted is to live my life for me.<em>

"Andromeda," her mother said. "Andromeda we have some exciting news for you."

It couldn't be that exciting, as her mother remained perfectly still in her spot on the couch, her voice barely changing in inflection. Though something flashed through her dark eyes, like fire against the black sky.

_To make my own decisions, free of the restraints of others._

"Mother, it's been quite pleasant visiting with you, but I really must be getting back to school. I can't afford to miss any classes." She smiled weakly in an attempt to lighten her mother's intense stare. "You know how it is. You miss one day and then you're miles—"

"Andromeda," Her mother interrupted. "Stop babbling."

Andromeda tried to avoid looking at her feet. "Sorry, mother."

Her mother tsked, "I understand that you are quite eager to return to your studies, but you could have made that point in far less words."

Andromeda bit her lip. "You're right, mother, on both counts, I am eager to return." And to get away from him…

Her mother smiled, a ghostly smile that held no real emotion. "See Cordelia, I told you, she is quite committed to her studies."

_To choose my own path._

"Yes." Came a voice from the shadows, and Mrs. Lestrange emerged. Her dark hair contrasted sharply with Mrs. Black's pale blond hair, and her blue eyes were bright with worry. "But a wife needs to more than intelligent."

Despite their differences, they seemed to have a lot of things in common. They both had tall, thin frames and stood as though the earth itself were beneath them, and had sunless skin and beautiful eyes that seemed endless and empty.

"How committed is she to her blood?" Mrs. Lestrange asked.

_I want to choose who I become._

"My daughter would never dream of doing or associating with anyone or anything beneath her. She is a Black." Andromeda could feel her mother's gaze return to her, could see the challenge there. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, but she dared not show any sign of weakness, not now. "She knows where her loyalties lie." She didn't miss her mother's unspoken threat.

"I see," Mrs. Lestrange said.

"Then you have no further arguments?" Her mother's voice was polite, but clipped.

Mrs. Lestrange only smiled, before daintily waving her fingers. "Rabastan, darling, do come here."

_To be me, without having to be afraid._

Rabastan came forward, tall and wiry like his mother. His golden hair crept over his dark eyes, and there was a soft smile on his full lips. The curves and shadows of his face made him seem almost beautiful, though there was something about him that seemed off, or perhaps she just detested the way her heart pounded in his presence.

"I see no reason to delay." He mother stood, graceful as a hunting lioness, or that was how Andromeda pictured her. "On behalf my husband, Cygnus Arian Black, I do present my daughter, Andromeda Niobe Black as the future spouse of your son, Rabastan Perseus Lestrange."

Andromeda gasped, she couldn't help it. Ice seemed to wash over her, freezing her thoughts and body in that moment.

"I accept your proposal. Your daughter will make fine wife for my son." Mrs. Lestrange voice carried the same cool weight of her mother's.

_To be free._

Rabastan stepped forward, his eyes never leaving her. Her heart was still pounding, but it was like the sickening thud of a men being lead up the gallows. But she shouldn't be so dramatic, she's lucky an arranged marriage is all she's getting after what she did.

He took her hand. "And do you, accept me, milady?" His voice was the low purr of honey. She resisted the urge to pull away. She had only once choice, and this was it.

"I would not dare refuse such an offer, my lord." His eyes flashed as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it, his lips burning where they touched her skin.

_There are some things that never can be, some choices that will never be ours, and I have seen the last of mine._

Engaged. The words still felt weird on her lips, but considering she had just started sixth year, it wasn't exactly a word used to describe most people her age. Technically, she and Rabastan were only betrothed, since the ceremony wouldn't take place until she left Hogwarts, nearly two years from now. Though from the way her parents talked about it, you'd think the ceremony was happening tomorrow.

She sighed. This had always been a possibility, but sometimes pureblood families let their children choose their spouses. She'd always though if she was good that would've been the case, and maybe if she had, it still would be. She was lucky only Bellatrix and her parents knew what she'd done. What was she supposed to have done though? If she hadn't interfered, Bellatrix might've killed—

She slammed into something, or rather someone, and her books slid from her fingers and crashed to the floor. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm—" she stopped. It was Ted Tonks, a Hufflepuff and a fellow sixth year. He met her stare with a small, quirky smirk, but before she could reply he was bending down to pick up her books. She stared at him for a moment before realizing herself and hastily bent down to help him. But even as she bent down he was straightening back up. She nearly lost her balance trying to follow him back up, or maybe that's because she found herself staring at him. He grinned, brushing his messy blond hair away from his eyes.

"Here ya go." He carefully tipped the books into her arms. She caught them, but somewhere in the process her hand brushed against his. She jumped back, tensing. The smile slipped from his lips and his eyes seemed to lose some of their luster.

"Don't worry, I doubt your blood will rot from such a brief touch with a mudblood." He somehow managed to say that politely, though there was certainly a cool edge to his voice, and he said the word mudblood like it was a bitter poison he was forced to swallow. "And I would like to point out, it was you who bumped into me."

"I—I—" she couldn't formulate a defense, so instead she mumbled. "Sorry."

"I wasn't accusing you of anything," he said. He studied her, like she was some puzzle he thought it would be amusing to solve. It was an unsettling thought.

"Right," she said, confused, before adjusting the books in her arms and taking off down the hall.

"Aren't you supposed to going the other way?" he asked.

"No," she said, even though she had no idea. She just needed to get away, and that meant going this way.

She lost his reply in the noise of transitioning students. It might have been "Suit yourself." She'd made it up two flights of stairs before realizing he was right. She was supposed to be heading to charms next, which was on the complete other side of the school. Hoisting her bag up higher she took off toward charms, though there was absolutely no way she'd make it on time.


	2. Chapter 2

"Nice of you to join us, Ms. Black." Andromeda blushed as she quickly shut the door behind her. It's bad enough to be called out for being late by any teacher in front of the whole class, but somehow professor Flitwick's squeaky voice made it all worse.

"My apologies, professor," she said. Like any teacher, her polite, calm tone immediately soothed him. He merely rolled his eyes as he returned, somewhat airily, to his instruction. She planned to sit in her normal seat near the back of the classroom, only to find it was taken by another student. Repressing the desire to slump her shoulders she quickly scanned the room for an empty seat, but the only available one was in the far left, next to Ted Tonks. He looked up, probably feeling her stare. He scanned the classroom as well and, coming to the same conclusion she had, returned his attention to her. His lips curved up into another one of those smirks as he lifted his hand and patted the seat next to him.

Her cheeks filled with heat and she immediately stared at the ground to hide the blush that was sure to follow. Her mother had told her to never stare at her feet, it was a sign of weakness, of submission. And the Blacks did not submit to anyone. But she couldn't look at him! No, it had nothing to do with that, it was just that she couldn't let him see her, not that it would be a problem if he saw her it's just that she—

She forced herself to stop, and look up, she bypassed his face as she did, focusing instead on the wall above him as she went to her seat. The moment she sat down she focused her attention forward, refusing to even glance at him. But it wasn't enough to block out his voice, whispering,

"How was the scenic route?"

Her cheeks inflamed again, and she almost screamed in frustration. How many times could a person blush in a few minutes? One would think that considering the previous blush hadn't worn off yet, there would be no room for more blushing. They would be wrong.

She tried to focus on the lesson, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't ignore the person next to her. It was like she was hyperaware of his presence and every cell in her body wanted to glance over at him again, no matter how often her mind told it no.

Except she couldn't resist. She opened her book and bent down into it, pretending to be searching for something, when really she was glancing at him over the top of the cover. He didn't notice, as he was too busy making his quill dance across his desk.

It's funny how you could know someone for years and yet never noticed certain things, like how his skin reminded her of the pleasant yellow hue of sunlight. His whole demeanor seemed to scream sun, even his ever-present smile had a lightness about it.

"How's the view from down there?"

She let out a tiny gasp and straightened as she slammed the book closed, while Ted chuckled. Her slamming was pretty loud, loud enough to cause the people around them to look at her in alarm, but a majority of the class was already moving and talking, so they didn't notice anything. That was fortunate, but it also meant something was happening, and since she hadn't been paying attention she didn't know what it was. She supposed she should ask someone, and she had an idea which someone, it was just…

"We're supposed to be getting partners, to you know, practice what we've learned."

She looked over at him. He pressed his lips together and smiled toothlessly. She smiled, a nervous smile that by the time she turned away had turned into a grimace. She started towards Susannah, a shy Hufflepuff girl she usually partnered with during these things, only to find that she was partnering with someone else, another Hufflepuff boy. She glanced around, everyone else seemed to have a partner, which left…

She slowly turned back to face Ted, like a prisoner might turn to face the firing squad. He just looked at her. He wasn't smirking, but she could tell it was taking considerable effort on his part. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something, and when she didn't he took the initiative.

"Did you need something?" he leaned forward like she'd said something, even though she hadn't. "A partner?" he straightened, "Yeah sure I'll be your partner. Jeez, you just can't seem to stay away from me, can you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you sure it's me? You seem to have a habit of cropping up in my path." She almost regretted it, almost. Angering the person she was no supposed to work with probably wasn't a good idea, but his lips spread into a grin and he chuckled.

"I knew there was something I liked about you." He looked up at her again, and somehow, his whole demeanor seemed to brighten. "Shall we?" he indicated to an empty space in the classroom where they could practice. Andromeda nodded and followed him numbly, feeling like the floor had been pulled out from under her feet and she was now expected to walk on air.

Ted and Andromeda made their way over to a secluded corner. He turned to face her, his wand raised. She automatically raised hers in response, before realizing she still didn't know what they were doing. She stared at Ted, hoping he would take pity on her. He just smirked at her, a smirk that she was really starting to hate, and let her squirm for a bit before saying,

"We're supposed to be working on the silencing charm, you know like we did with the Raven's last year? Only this year we're doing it on each other, because that's more advanced, apparently, I don't know." His voice grew quieter. "Between you and me, I think Flitwick's fallen off his stack of books one too many times if you understand my meaning…" He twirled his hand around his head to emphasize the point.

Andromeda couldn't help it; she giggled, and immediately forced herself to stifle it to avoid any more awkward stares from their classmates. She took a deep breath, pulling back, pulling in. She needed to detach herself, before this got any weirder. She focused on him, yes, but without any sort of, spark. He seemed to sense her change in demeanor. A muscle in his jaw twitched and when he spoke his voice was uncharacteristically formal.

"Do you want to start?"

She just nodded, raising her wand. "Silencio."

He opened his mouth. "And…nope, sorry , didn't work."

She tried again, and again, but no matter how hard she tried, she just wasn't successful. She ran her hands through her long dark hair in frustration.

"You're just not properly motivated.," Ted said. "You need more encouragement." He cleared his throat. "So, is bumping into people your preferred way of getting attention? Because it seems there are other ways that are more effective and less embarrassing." He paused, looking thoughtful. "But then, of course, it does give you an excuse to have some one-on-one contact with them." His eyes narrowed. "Unless of course said person is a mudblood, and said girl happens to be a bigot—"

She felt a rush of heat all throughout her body, and without thinking she shouted, "silencio!" The words seemed to rip from some hidden corner of her body. His mouth opened and closed several times but made no sound. He tried to say something else in congratulations before realizing his mistake. Instead he gave her thumbs up. There also seemed to be something else in his face, but she couldn't quite make out what it was. Something…wary? Excited? Thoughtful? Whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable.

She almost left him like that, as a way of repaying all the obnoxious things he'd said and done to her today, but in the end she couldn't do it.

"Resonus."

He massaged his throat. "Thanks." He smirked again. "See? All I had to do was make you angry—"

"You succeeded Andromeda?" Came the greasy voice of one her classmates, Amycus Carrow. He turned towards the two of them. Amycus had pale skin, startling blue eyes and chin-length grayish-brown hair. He was one of those people who might have been attractive, if he learned to comb his hair and wasn't leering all the time.

"I don't know how you can concentrate with the stench." He glanced over at Ted. His leer twisted his face into some ugly shape. Andromeda stiffened, but Ted just raised his eyebrows.

"You're one to talk, Carrow."

Amycus's nostrils flared. "What did you just say, Tonks?"

"You heard me."

Amycus looked like he was inflating; it was quite alarming, actually. "Remember your place, mudblood, or perhaps I need to remind you…"

"Come on over here and I would be happy to oblige you." Tonks said, his voice still had that calm, almost bored quality, but Andromeda could see him fingering his wand by his side. Her breath caught. "Especially if it involves sticking that wand of yours up your big, harry, A—"

"Are you threatening my brother?" His twin, Alecto, cut in. It always amazed Meda how much she looked like her brother despite the difference in gender.

This time Ted didn't say anything, but his eyes flickered up toward the Professor. Amycus followed his gaze and turned back, sneering. "Looking to the professor to protect you, Tonks?"

"No, I just don't want him to be the one to have to pick the pieces of you off the floor after I'm done with you." His smirked returned. "He's one of my favorite teachers, you see."

Amycus's eyes bulged, Andromeda thought he was going to start screaming, but he managed to keep his voice at a whisper. "You insolent, rotten little as—"

Ted raised his wand and said, "Silencio!" Like Ted's, Amycus's mouth continued moving before he realized what had happened, only there was something more comical about it this time. Andromeda stiffled her snort.

Considering neither Alecto nor Amycus were very bright, Andromeda doubted they'd mastered the basic charm yet, much less it's reversal. The two of them shuffled away, casting Ted dirty looks as they went to find someone who could restore Amycus's voice.

Ted glanced over at her, and his smirk had returned. He was looking at her like this was their victory, even though she hadn't done anything. He probably expected her to smile or laugh again. But Andromeda couldn't focus, her heart was still racing from their fight, and all she could see was the sparks flaring from Amycus's wand when he threatened Ted. He may have been kind of dull, but she had no doubt he'd make good on his threats. So instead she cast her eyes to the floor, not caring that it looked weak. She just couldn't afford to look at Ted any longer.

She could still see him though, at least from the shoulders down, so she saw the way his shoulders slumped and the light seemed to disappear from around him. She didn't keep staring at the floor, but she didn't look at him either, at least she tried not to. They passed the rest of the class like that, in this uncomfortable, still silence. It was probably only a few minutes before class ended, but it felt like hours. Professor Flitwick's ringing, "class dismissed!" was a voice from heaven. She needed to get out of there, right now. The day was only half over and she already felt like collapsing from exhaustion. She grabbed her book and shoved it into her bag, but in the process she knocked the quill off her desk and it rolled out of reach. She heaved a sigh, a part of her still wanted to leave, regardless, but that quill was special. It was one of the only gifts her father had given her.

She ambled around her desk, reaching down to pick it up, but someone else beat her too it. For the second time that day she found herself standing up to see Ted Tonks. She wasn't going to participate in any more of this awkward staring business; at least, she told herself she wasn't going to.

He looked at her quill and whistled. "That's a fancy quill." She didn't wait for him to hand it to her, she was done. She snatched it from his fingers, ever so careful not to brush against his skin again. Ignoring his surprised gesture she turned to walk away from him.

"Sorry, I threatened your friend."

Andromeda stopped. "Amycus isn't my friend." She probably shouldn't have said that, especially since Ted appeared at her shoulder a moment later, and when she walked out, he followed along beside her. She cringed, but didn't say anything. It was bad idea, but what was she supposed to do about it?

"Are you all right?" Ted's voice cut in again. "You seemed kind of distracted when we…ran into each other earlier."

Really? Andromeda mused; I wonder why that would be. "I'm Fine ."

"You sure?"

No. "Quite sure, I was just…flabbergasted with homework and gathering my books and everything."

He clicked his tongue, she could tell he didn't believe her, but before she could say anything else to convince him, he said,

"Flabbergasted?" She didn't miss the mocking tone in his voice.

"Flabbergasted," she said, "is a perfectly good word."

"Eh, I don't know, it makes me think of flobberworms."

"Flobberworms? The only similarities they have are the f and the b." Why she was continuing this bizarre conversation? She should stop, and get away from Ted. But he'd made fun of the way she spoke! She couldn't let him get away with that.

"It makes you sound like a prude."

"The opinion of someone whose own vocabulary is limited and coarse at best." She kept thinking Ted was going to turn on her the way he had Amycus, but he still had that stupid smirk plastered all over his face. And her, what was she doing? Sure, he was irritating her, but was she really angry?

"Coarse and limited? Goodness, you sure know how to make a man feel insulted." He emphasized this point by feigning a wound to his chest, but he still couldn't stop himself from smirking.

"Words are a powerful instrument, Mr. Tonks, you should learn to wield them." He made a face at her, and though she was blushing, she held her ground.

Or she intended too. They'd reached the great hall, and people were staring at them and whispering.

She automatically took a step back, away from Ted, but he wasn't where he'd been before. She looked over to see him walking away from the great all, towards the entrance hall. She knew she should just let him go, just let him walk away, but…

"Where are you going?"

He looked over at her, his expression unreadable. "The lake, I like to eat out there, it's peaceful."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say.

He was silent for a moment. Then, "you want to come?"

His question surprised her, but then, it didn't. She allowed herself to think about it. It would be nice, not having to sit among her sisters' friends, knowing she didn't really belong. And she loved the lake…but like always, there wasn't really a choice, there was only one way.

"No, I can't."

His shoulders tightened and he let his gaze drop. "Right."

And then he turned around and made his way out the door. She watched him go, and then made her way inside, ignoring the knot of disappointment in her chest.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: To IloveLuna/guest. Thanks so much for everything!

To anyone who followed the story, thanks, and don't forget to leave a review.

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><p>Ted Tonks rolled out of his bed and stared at his clock…<p>

It was 7:40…

He sat up straight. 7:40? He told Professor. Kettleburn he'd be down to help him at 7:30. Ten minutes ago.

He leapt out of bed, smacking his head on the frame as he did so. Cursing both his oversleeping and his sore head, he whipped off his night clothes and shrugged on an old ragged pair of jeans and a button up flannel shirt and whipped out the door toward the entrance hall. The hallways were practically deserted. It was a Saturday morning after all, which meant there were no awkward stares to follow him as he raced down the hallways, running like a horde of Inferi were after him.

Professor Kettleburn had recently suffered from a serious accident when he'd been helping some colleagues transport a manticore, and was having a difficult time getting everything ready for his classes. Of course Ted had said yes when Professor Kettleburn had asked him to help, even when the Professor had asked him to be there at 7:30. In the morning. On a Saturday.

He made his way outside, barely getting to enjoy the feeling of cool morning air on his skin as he raced toward the outdoor pavilion where Professor Kettleburn was standing.

"Sorry Professor," he said, bending over and placing his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "I overslept."

"It's all right, Mr. Tonks," the professor said kindly, his eyes twinkling. Several parts of his arms were still wrapped in bandages, as was his entire left leg, a couple of sticks that seemed to be serving as crutches were propped under his arms.

"Thank you for coming, I appreciate it." To be honest, he probably could have arrived at noon and the Professor would have been just as forgiving. Not that he would abuse the Professor's kindness like that; he'd just been so distracted lately. And he knew exactly why.

Andromeda Black. He shouldn't be thinking about her. He had no business thinking about her, but he couldn't help it. Ever since that day in charms, it was like her name and face had been plastered to the inside of his eyelids, and every time he closed them there she was. He didn't know what to make of her. Sometimes she made him so angry, like when she blanched at his skin touching hers, or the way she refused to meet his eye or respond to him talking to her. But then he'd remember the fire that would spring up in her eyes when he'd called her a bigot and the way she seemed to cringe when he'd used the word mudblood.

He'd known it was a bad idea to tell Jake to sit in Andromeda's spot, or partner with Susannah so Andromeda would be forced to partner with him, but he hadn't thought anything would come of it. And at first he'd thought nothing had, but she'd talked to him. All the way towards the Great Hall, where most of her pureblood friends wouldn't have said a word to him because they'd be afraid he'd somehow pollute them with his muggleness. And yeah, it been more of a bicker, but he'd still found himself lying awake in his bed for days after, thinking about their conversation, mulling her words over in his head, remembering her eyes, the shape of her mouth…

"Professor. Kettleburn, where would you like me to set these?"

Oh no. He whirled around.

Andromeda stood behind him, a large crate in her hands, based on the way she froze, her mouth opening, she hadn't known he would be here either. She glanced over him, taking in his disheveled appearance. Ted wasn't one to be self-conscious, but something about those eyes made him distinctly uncomfortable. He probably looked pretty crappy, with his worn out jeans, crumpled unbuttoned flannel shirt thrown over a white tank top, and wild hair that was probably sticking up in all directions. She, on the other hand, looked fantastic. She wasn't wearing her school robes, but robes that looked like they were made out of a dark brown, almost leather-like material. Made for the outdoors, but still impeccably expensive. Her skin didn't look quite so pale in the sun, but maybe that was because her long hair wasn't black, but rather a dark brown like rain-drenched wood, glistening in the sunlight, catching beautiful shadows of red and purple across her face.

"Oh, Ms. Black, I did mention I invited Mr. Tonks as well, did I not? Mr. Tonks, you know Ms. Black, yes?"

Not as well as you'd like to. "Yeah," Ted replied, telling the voice in his head to shut up, "we've met. She likes to drop things at my feet and steal my voice." Andromeda blushed furiously and busied herself with straightening the sticks in her arms.

If the professor noticed anything odd about their exchange he didn't let on. "Go ahead and set them down by those benches, my dear." He turned to Ted. "I've already explained everything I need to Ms. Black, so she'll be able to direct you." He gave Ted another soft smile before limping over to sit down in the shade of a nice tree.

Ted turned toward Andromeda. Well, here goes nothing. He walked up behind her.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or am I witnessing a historic event?"

Andromeda let out a tiny gasp, dropping the sticks. She turned around to look at him, breathing heavily.

"Not this though, dropping things in my presence does seem to be your defining feature."

She glared at him, before seeming to realize what she was doing and hastily looking away as she bent down to pick up the fallen sticks. Without thinking Ted bent down to help her. He couldn't help it, his mother had raised him to be a perfect gentleman, and he didn't want to even imagine the fit she'd have if she saw him stand there while a lady picked things up off the ground. Not that Andromeda was appreciative of his chivalry, she kept casting him side-long glances, like she expected him to pull out his wand and jinx her. He sighed.

They worked in silence for a while, until finally she said, "Mr. Tonks, what did you mean?"

"What?" Ted said, surprised that she speaking to him.

"I'm referring to your comment about the historic event." She was always so formal, even when no formality was called for. "What was your meaning?"

"Oh." He chuckled, remembering the brilliant comment he'd planned to say before she'd dropped the sticks. It seemed a little out of place now, but she had asked. "I was referring to the fact that a Black was actually doing manual labor. Outdoors. In the dirt." He glanced sharply over at her to see that she was glaring at him, her eyes were narrowed and her cheeks inflamed. She opened her mouth, probably to give him haughty reply, but then snapped it shut, apparently thinking better. But Ted's curiosity was peaked.

"Now, now, they'll be none of that." He sat down, his back leaning against one of the benches. "Go on then, what were you going to say?" Her mouth twitched, but other than that she gave no sign she'd heard him. His eyes narrowed. She'd played the silent trick with him far too many times, and he wasn't going tolerate it any more.

"So, I always imagined you Black girls as being perfectly balanced and coordinated. But based on the number of occasions I've observed you dropping things, I'm guessing you missed that boat. Or maybe you're finally touching back down on earth after years of walking above the rest of us." He grinned again, somehow enjoying himself. "Tell me, how does it feel to be back among your fellow mortals—."

"Ahh!"She made some sort of high-pitched grunt of frustration. Her hair whipped in front of her eyes as she turned to glare at him. "You are so—." She closed her eyes, clamping her mouth shut and looked away.

"So what?" he prompted. She didn't answer, just stood up and stormed over to the other side of the pavilion. After a moment he followed.

"Andromeda wait," he said, catching up to her. She turned and looked him. For a moment he considered apologizing, but the words wouldn't come. "You're supposed to tell me what we're doing."

She stared at him for a moment, then sighed, giving in. "Come here."

Andromeda explained their tasks as concisely and tersely as was humanly possible, scarcely ever looking at him as she did so, but he supposed he should have expected that. They were mostly just moving things around, though there were a few animals they needed to relocate or feed. Some things they could move with magic, but others, such as the animals themselves, Professor Kettleburn had requested they not trust to the fate of a hovering spell. Some of these animals were quite large, So Ted offered to move them by himself. Even though it was early morning he soon broke into a sweat. Without thinking he slipped off the button up and shirt and let it fall beside him, so that he was just in his tank top.

Andromeda breathed in sharply behind him. He glanced over at her to see that she was staring at him, or rather, the part of him below his head and above his legs. He blushed, feeling suddenly exposed. He was a slim person, but years of working summers on his grandparents farm had given him a fair amount of muscle, he supposed.

"Umm…" he said, trying to regain Andromeda's attention, at least to his voice, "Is there anything else?" He tried not to let his mind dwell on her lingering stare, it was taking him to a place he really didn't want to go to, or rather he did, it was just...

"Ye-yes," she stammered, tearing her eyes away and blushing furiously again. She looked so cute when she did that, not that he was noticing. "I mean, of course there is, Mr. Tonks, follow me." He rolled his eyes at her return to formality. Or at least, he meant too, but he was still trying to puzzle through her reaction to him… taking his shirt off.

She reached the last of the crates. "We just have to feed to Bowtruckles." She grabbed a handful of woodlice and then knelt down beside them, after a moment, he followed suit. He was very aware of the proximity of their arms. Her sleeves covered down to her elbows, leaving her lower arm exposed. He lifted his hand to scatter some as well, and his wrist brushed against hers. He expected her to react as she had before. She did let out a tiny gasp, but her hand didn't jerk or convulse, instead remaining in place. He could tell she was fighting her impulse to do so, but at least she was making an effort.

"Andromeda?" he said before he lost his nerve. "Can I ask you something?"

She sighed. "I don't suppose there's anything I can do to stop you."

His mouth twitched. "Why are you here? I mean, why are you doing this?"

She was silent, then, "because Professor Kettleburn asked me too, and I enjoy Care of Magical creatures."

"Really?"

"Ah yes, is it a historic event that a Black actually enjoys the outdoors?" There was a certain bitter note in her voice, and her lips were pursed, but she seemed to hiding a smile.

Ted just shook his head, smirking slightly. "No, I mean yes, it's just, you don't really seem like the outdoors type."

"Well, things are not always what they seem, but yes, I do, I mean, when I first took Care of Magical creatures I was a little apprehensive, I'll admit, but there was something just so— breathtaking about them. Like you could understand exactly why they did the things they did, and yet they were still unpredictable…" she trail off as her gaze drifted into the forbidden forest, eyes shining, but when she noticed him staring the light quickly faded from her eyes. "And what about you, Mr. Tonks?"

"Ted," he said, "no more of this, Mr. Tonks, you're making me feel old. And, uh, same, I suppose." There was no way he could top her description. He gave her a small, appreciative smile before returning to the Bowtruckles, but they had fed them all the wood lice.

"So, that's it then?" Ted said, standing up, she nodded, rising as well.

"Right then." He fiddled with his fingers. This was his cue to leave, but he didn't want to listen to that cue. Andromeda, however, was already striding towards the castle, so fast that he had to run to catch up to her.

"Hey, Andromeda?"

She stopped, looking. "Yes?"

The question was there, on the tip of his tongue, he just needed to talk a deep breath and say it. "What were you going to say, really?"

She was silent again, and this time he thought for sure she wasn't going to answer. But her voice came, so soft he had to strain to hear it even though he was right next to her. "I was going to say, for someone who knows me so little you seem to know a lot about me." And then she turned away and continued walking.

Ted stared after her. He remembered all those things she done, or all the things she hadn't done, watching the Slytherins torment him and his classmates without lifting a finger. He'd assumed she was just like the rest of them, but had he ever given her a chance to be something else? And he thought about what she had just told him, about her love for Care of Magical Creatures, the wistful look in her eyes as she stared out across the pavilion to the forest, as though she could see something he couldn't.

"Wait."

She stopped again, looking back over at him, her eyes wary.

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're right. I don't know a lot about you but I... but I'd like too." The voice in his head was gleefully reminded him that he'd had that same though earlier, only with a more perverse connotation, he did his best to ignore that voice. "May I walk you up to the castle?"

He expected the same answer he'd been given a week ago, but instead she said, "I suppose."

Ted stared at her in shock, not quite comprehending, but then her words sank in.

He ran to catch up with her again, before she could change her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

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"Andromeda!" Andromeda knew that voice. She sprang away from Ted, trying not to look sheepish as she met Narcissa's glance. Narcissa was staring at Ted with an odd expression, as though she couldn't decide if he were a slug she should squish or a shark about to ravage her.

"What are you doing?" she said again, speaking through clenched teeth as though this would somehow prevent Ted from hearing, which it didn't. He raised his eyebrows, before glancing over at Andromeda, but she didn't dare return his glance.

They'd been discussing the time Amycus and Alecto Carrow had managed to attach their legs together while trying to perform a simple switching spell, and they couldn't help but laugh, though how was she supposed to explain that to her sister?

Andromeda opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ted take a hesitant step backward. People surged in front of him, blocking him from her view. She wanted to turn, to see if he was still there, but she couldn't, not when her sister was looking at her as though her face had turned inside out.

"That was Ted Tonks, wasn't it?" she said, coming closer. Andromeda took a step back, startled.

"How did you...?" Narcissa had never met Ted, as far as she was aware. He was muggleborn, and a Hufflepuff so how had she—?

"He was the one Amycus was talking about," Narcissa said impatiently. "Last night in the common room. Weren't you listening?"

No, she wasn't, Andromeda rarely listened, not now when the evenings were drowned with her classmates rants about the muggleborn's who, 'didn't know their place.' Most of it was just the whines of people who had nothing better to do, but sometimes they discussed ways to get back at them, to teach them their place. The ways they could restore the 'old ways' when blood status was everything. Just remembering those words made her shiver.

"Amycus said the mudblood forced you to be his partner, and when Amycus tried to help you, he turned into a right little worm and threatened to hex Amycus." She sniffed. "Not that he could, smarmy little maggot."

Considering what she'd heard Amycus say when he thought no lady could hear him, her sister better be a bit careful over who she called, Smarmy Maggot.

"He said that you truly horrified to be partnered with— him— and I believe him. But this, Andromeda, what were you thinking?" It was clear that for Narcissa there was only one answer. Andromeda hadn't been thinking.

"It wasn't anything," Andromeda said. "I just had a question, about our charm's homework, and I figured he could answer it."

"Humph," her sister pouted, folding her arms across her chest, "Don't know why you'd want help with homework from a mudblood."

This was also a questionable statement, as Narcissa had only managed to get this far in her education by sweet-talking boys into doing her homework for her, and even then she was barely scraping by.

"You're right." Andromeda placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. "It was a mistake, and I promise I won't make it again. I've just, been a little bit stressed lately."

Her sister stared at her for a moment, and then her lips broke into a wide smile. Andromeda could help but smile as well. Despite her sister's faults, she would always be Andromeda's favorite. Narcissa could never hold a grudge, and Andromeda had no doubt her little mishap was not only forgiven, but completely forgotten.

"I have something you will cheer you up!" Based on her barely contained shriek, this must be the reason Narcissa originally sought her out. She pulled a piece of parchment out from inside her robes and handed it to Andromeda, who unfurled with a small, affectionate sigh, which quickly changed to a gasp.

"Can you believe it?" Her sister finally exploded. "We're going to have ball!"

A ball. That meant fancy dress robes, dancing, boys, and those torturous shoes.

"Right... yes, of course." Though she was really stifling a groan.

"Andromeda." Narcissa looked suddenly sullen. "Can you at least pretend to be excited?"

"Your right," she said, before realizing that didn't make sense. "I mean, of course I'm... November 11th?" She squinted at the paper. "That's still a month from now."

"Still? That scarcely gives me enough time to make all the preparations!" Her eyes bulged, but then she smiled as she lifted an imaginary fan to her face and dramatically batted her eyelids. "Though I shall die from waiting." She cast Andromeda a sly grin. "But I can think of a certain someone that will delighted to escort his fiancé to the ball."

Andromeda hadn't thought of that, but suddenly it hit her, like being smacked in the gut with a branch from the Whomping Willow tree. His face filled her mind, and suddenly her throat constricted and her heart forgot how to breathe.

"And it's a masquerade! Isn't that so romantic!" Her sister's eyes were brimming, like someone had light a bright green fire behind them, and her blue veins popped out of the side of her pale neck.

Romantic was not the word Andromeda would have used. More like nightmare, but she couldn't spoil her sister's moment. "It's sounds breathtaking."

"Oh!" Narcissa threw her arms around her sister's neck. "This is going to be so amazing." She pulled away, placing her hands firmly on her sister's shoulders. "I must be allowed to do your hair and cosmetics."

Andromeda smiled again, not completely fake this time. "I would never dream of letting anyway else."

Her sister threw her arms in the air and spun down the hallway. Then she stopped, looking back. "Aren't you coming to breakfast?"

"Oh, umm..." The last thing Andromeda felt right now was hunger, "I've actually got a lot to accomplish this morning."

"Very well." The youngest Black sister gave her another smile and wave before turning and practically skipping down the hall.

Andromeda watched her until she disappeared, then turned.

She'd known what she would find, but she still experienced a strange tightening and then sudden hollowness in her stomach at the sight of the empty space. What point had he slipped away? How much had he heard?

She didn't really have anything to accomplished, but now that she was at it; she might as well get at early start on her transfiguration homework…

"Where are you going?"

"The lake, I like to eat out there, it's peaceful."

She didn't stopped to think about where the thought had come from, she didn't stop to think about what she was about to do, she just turned around and made her way towards the doors.

Ted didn't always come to the water, but he did come more often than not. There wasn't really a pattern to his visits; when he didn't feel like being around people he came out here. He definitely didn't feel like being around people right now, or at least, not some people.

He clasped his hands around his neck and let himself fall to the ground. What had he been thinking? No amount of small talk was ever to change things between him and Andromeda. She may not have been as snobby as the other Slytherins, but when push came to shove it was clear where she stood.

And suddenly her sister's disgusted, snarling face filled his mind. Well, really Ted? A voice seemed to shout, what the hell were you expecting?

Nothing. He'd expected nothing. He wasn't even sure why he cared so much. It's not like she was anything to him anyway. He was just being stupid. Stupid and thick and—

"Ted?"

He sat up so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. He could believe it, but there she was. The sunlight creeping over her back, casting a warm honey glow over her skin, the wind gently catching her soft hair and fanning it out behind her, the way it did for the heroine moments before she was kissed by the hero in those romantic movies his mother used to watch.

Or at least that's how he saw her. In reality the wind was whipping her hair into her eyes and mouth, causing her to blink and sputter. Good to know she was mortal.

She looked him over, her mouth pulled into a tight line and her gaze shifting back up to the castle, clearly wondering if this was a mistake, if she should leave.

"Who else?" He attempted to smile with his usually charisma, but she just stared at him, clearly not convinced.

"Come on, then," he said, his voice a little breathless as he patted the ground next to him, "have a seat."

And finally she moved, taking a seat next to him, which would've been great except she looked like she was doing so against her will.

"So..."Ted said before that awkward silence could ensue. The sarcastic, teasing comment was on the tip of his tongue. Got lost on your way to the snakes? Forgot you hadn't called me a mudblood at least five times yet? Wanted to see if the rumors were true and mudbloods really do sprout horns when their alone? Wondering how the hell we can eat when our insides are secretly made of...

"Hungry?" He held out an apple. She stared at it with wide eyes like she expected it to sprout fangs and suck out her blood.

"Thank you, but no. I'm fine."

Ted had accepted girls were strange, but he would never be able to get over their seemingly universal lack of appetite. He was always hungry, and they never seemed to eat, ever. The Slytherin girls didn't even touch their food, as far as he noticed, not that he spent a lot of time looking at them, at least, most of them.

"Not hungry for school food, you mean," he said, trying to keep his mind from wandering too far, "but this isn't school food." He reached for his backpack, trying to open it without taking his eyes of Andromeda. He failed, on both counts, and when he finally got the bag open, his cheeks were a faint sunset color. "This is a specially crafted meal specifically for you, beyond anything you've ever had before." He grinned at her.

"Delicious, exotic fruit." He said as he pulled out a small bag of grapes and a couple of oranges.

"Exquisite vegetables," he pulled out some celery and chopped carrots.

"Freshly baked, mouth-watering rolls," out came some rolls that looked like they were a bit on the stale side.

"A most fine tuna salad," he took on a horrible, cheesy French accent, "to decorate the rolls." It was pretty weak, but Andromeda smiled appreciatively. Ted was mostly relieved that he still had her attention. The problem was, and he was running out of ways to keep it.

"And uhh... we got, uhh... sausages and... mashed potatoes?" He didn't remember the mashed potatoes, the house elves must have slipped it in when he wasn't looking.

He glanced over at her. "Ahh, yes, to provide a varied and unique experience, scrumptious sausages and err, luscious mash potatoes."

He scrambled to arrange everything neatly in front of time.

"Ahh, a most fine feast, in honor of the great, ravishing, Lady Andromeda Black." And then he bowed, as much as a person sitting down could.

But it worked. She laughed, or giggled, the most beautiful giggle his had ever heard. Ever. It was like the soft low murmur of a bubbling stream. He felt something flutter through him, a brief hollowness in his stomach, like he would do anything to hear that laugh again. Or maybe his hunger was keeping him from thinking straight.

"Still not hungry?" he asked.

She smiled, eyes dancing. "Perhaps I can be persuaded."

He returned her look. "Then dig in."

He had hoped they would've been past this, but as they began to eat, they lapsed back into the uncomfortable silence. He couldn't take it.

"All right." He slammed his spoon on the ground. She looked up, startled.

"I propose a game."

"A game?" she repeated, doubting she'd heard him right.

"Yes, an ice-breaking game."

Her brows furrowed. "I don't-"

"I'm tired of all this, uncomfortable not speaking. It's getting really irritating."

She looked taken back, she opened her mouth to say something, but now that he had started he couldn't stop.

"You see, I figure when actually get talking, we do just fine, but we still don't know what to say to each other so it... dies out, I guess. And I think it's just because we don't really know each other, and what we do know about each other is based in biases and stereotypes which prevents us from really getting to know each other." He ignored the voice in his head that said, and I really want to get to know you.

"And this is all keeping us from connecting and having an actual conversation that, you know really means something. So in order to overcome it we need to learn more about each other, and find what we have in common." He exhaled, having said most of this in one breath.

Andromeda was staring at him like he had just started spewing another language. He blushed. God, he must look like such an idiot. He certainly felt like one. She really wasn't going to like him now, but what was he supposed to do? It'd already been said.

"Right." He cleared his throat. "I'll start."

"Ted," she asked, "shouldn't you tell me what game we're playing first?"

"Err... right," he blushed again, ducking his head. "It's called the uh, favorites' game."

"The… favorite's game?" she repeated, sounding almost scared.

She wasn't making this easy. "Yes, you ask them about something that's their favorite and they answer, and then you answer, and, and that's the game," he finished, flushing.

"I see." She frowned, but otherwise remained expressionless.

. Ted bit his lip, "Right, I'll start." What the hell did he want to know about her? Well, obviously there were a lot of things he'd like to ask her but...

"Color?" he asked, surprising himself.

She thought for a moment. "Blue?"

"Blue?" he repeated, he couldn't help it. "No green? Not very loyal are you?"

"I thought," she said, her jaw tightening, "that the purpose of this— game—was to forgo these kinds of stereotypes.

Right," he said, trying to hide his pleasure at her response. "My apologies, I'll stop."

She almost smiled. "And you?"

"And me what?"

Her almost-smile came even closer to an actual smile, "What's your favorite color?"

"Oh uhh..." he'd never really thought about his favorite color, so he just said the first thing that came to mind. "Blue."

And her smile finally became an actual smile.

"Favorite animal?" he asked, mostly to keep himself from staring.

She thought about it again. "A horse."

"Really? Have you ever ridden one?"

"No," she said, "but, I'd like to."

And so they continued, they went through favorite animal, favorite subject, (Their answers were the same, care of Magical creatures) favorite food, favorite Quidditch team (Andromeda didn't have one, which Ted pointed out was strange because he did and he was the muggleborn, and Andromeda pointed out that was another stereotype), and favorite Bertie Bott's every flavor bean flavor (Ted liked Lemon, while Andromeda favored cinnamon).

They had reached, "favorite kind of shoe" and were the debating the value of dragon leather when Andromeda finally stood up.

"I'm sorry, this has been—pleasant— but I have a plethora of homework to finish over the weekend."

Ted couldn't help it. "Plethora?" he teased. She glared at him but didn't say anything. "Right, well," he stood up as well, running a hand through his hair. "I'll see you around then?" he hadn't meant for it to come out as a question, but it had, an embarrassingly desperate one.

She stared at him for a moment too long, then said, "yes of course." He smiled, and she did the same. The smile was still on her face when she looked back at him over her shoulder as she walked away. He waited until she disappeared, then a wide grin spread across his face as his fist shot into the air, victorious.


	5. Chapter 5

"Seriously, for every meal?" Ted asked.

"Well, not every time, just when we have guests over, which is most of the time."

"Huh." Ted leaned over, seemingly examining her side. He had a sort of twisted, contemplated look on his face, the same look he got whenever Professor McGonagall went over advanced theories in transfiguration. Not that she'd been looking. "If you have an eight course meal that many times a week, how are you still this thin?"

She threw a role at his face, which he blocked his arm, and then grinned. It'd had been a week since their first meeting, and they'd met three times since then.

"I could say the same about you, you know." She glanced over at his now empty-plate, which had been overflowing with food moments before.

He grinned. "I probably would've been, with all my mom's cooking, if I hadn't had to work on a farm."

"You're a farmer?" She asked, even though she wasn't surprised.

"Well, technically, I'm a wizard," he said bracingly. She blushed, thinking she'd offended him, but he only smile and he shifted where he was sitting, so that he was closer to her.

He kept his eyes on her, until she was forced to look away.

"So, Andromeda…"

"Meda, Please." She smiled, and he returned it.

"Right. Meda, you know who you look like?"

"No?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Audrey Hepburn."

She blinked. "Who?" Where was he going with this?

"She's this actress, or singer. You know, for muggles. I only know who she is because my mom adores 'My fair lady.' She used to make me watch it all the time." His words start to rush. "Not that you're anything like Eliza. Well, maybe a little, after she… I mean, you look like her, except she wears her hair up, like…" He reached for her, and she froze. His hand brushes across her cheek as he started to pull her hair up.

She flinched, and Ted quickly pulled his hand away, his jaw dropping.

"Sorry, I don't know why…" He turned crimson, and quickly buried his hand in his hair, like that would keep him from reaching out to her again.

Another silence ensued, only this time, Ted didn't try to break it.

She finished her food, which meant she had no reason to stay. But as tense as things were she didn't want to leave just yet. She reached into a bag and pulled a brush, but stopped when she caught sight of his expression.

"What?" She sounded more defensive than she meant too.

"It's just… you're constantly fixing your hair."

"Well, it's constantly getting messed up."

He flinched, and even though she hadn't been thinking of him when she said it, she flushed.

"Don't you're being a little obsessive?" he asked.

"You think I'm obsessed?" She laughed, trying to ease the mood. "You should see Narcissa; it takes her over an hour to get ready most mornings."

"Huh." He said that a lot. "I would've thought both your sisters would've been like that."

Andromeda's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"

Ted seemed to realize he was treading dangerous waters, but he wasn't one to stop once he started.

"You know what I'm talking about. I'm surprised they can see where they're going with their noses sticking up like that. They're the queens of snobs. They act like they're superior to everyone else they meet. And not just muggleborns, everyone. Although they make it clear that the muggleborns are slugs while they're goddesses walking on earth, or something."

Andromeda shot him a sharp glance. "Excuse me?"

He returned her hard stare. "You know it's true."

Her jaw clenched. "That's not the issue, Mr. Tonks. I won't tolerate my family be spoken about in such a manner. Do you understand me?"

His mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed, he looked like he was about to retort, but he just shook his head and looked away. "Fine."

A tense silence followed. She wondered if she should leave, if she made him angry. Maybe he even wanted her to leave. She returned her brush to her bag.

"So, do you want to hear about the time I mistook a raccoon for the angry spirit of a medieval criminal who'd been drawn and quartered?"

Andromeda couldn't help it; she smiled. "Of course."

After Ted had mentioned her sisters and Andromeda had semi-exploded at him, she'd thought their meal and possibly even their whole friendship was ruined, but once again she'd underestimated him. By the time they parted they were laughing hysterically and grinning at each other. That was one thing she liked about Ted. His brightness was infectious. He never seemed to stay down or angry, and you couldn't either while you were with him.

However, from that day on there'd been an understanding between them, Andromeda's family was not open for discussion, ever. But it was more than that really. Whenever they talked their seemed to be a branch of conversation that remained untouched between them, questions neither of them dared ask, probably because they didn't want to know the answer. There were moments where Andromeda could feel those questions creeping up on them, but Ted usually knew how to derail them with a story or joke. She wasn't quite sure why it was this way, maybe it was because neither of them wanted to end up angry at the other again. But it felt like something else. Maybe somewhere, they knew there was something forbidden about what they were doing. Some rule that said this wasn't allowed. And to bring it up was too acknowledge it, but if they didn't mention it they could go on pretending it wasn't there.

Ted also didn't try to touch her again, but she could see the way he always made sure his hands were busy when she's was around, though she tried not to think too much about it.

"Andromeda!" She'd turned. She'd been so cut up in thoughts of Ted Tonks she expected to see him. But it wasn't Ted. It was her fiancé.

She hadn't seen much of Rabastan since their engagement was announced, though he made a point of catching her eye in the common room and the halls.

"I'm glad I caught you before you had a chance to sneak away again." He smirked at her. Hopefully he'd been talking to her sisters, and was referring to her frequent trips to the 'library,' and not to her other endeavors. "Will you walk with me?"

She hesitated. She'd been on her way to meet Ted. He'd promised if she came today he'd explain to her how telephones worked, something she'd always been curious about. But something in Rabastan's voice told her this excursion wasn't optional, so she followed him.

He took her outside. He seemed to be angling for the lake, but she steered him toward the Forbidden Forest.

"How have you been? I trust you're keeping up with your studies?"

"Of course." She matched his polite tone. "And you? How is your seventh year treating you?"

"Not well," he chuckled. "The amount of homework they lay on us is insufferable, and we can't all be perfect little student like you." He winked. "And with the way the teachers are always talking, you'd think our exams were next week, and not in seven months."

"I see." She wasn't quite sure how to broach the next question, but she felt it must be asked. "But you didn't bring me out here to discuss school, did you?"

"No, you're right." He looked uncomfortable now. "I wanted to apologize for being such an inattentive fiancé."

She wasn't quite sure she wanted to discuss this, but there didn't seem to be a way out of it.

"I've just been so busy with school, and in truth I'm having trouble adjusting to the idea of being married."

Andromeda stopped walking. "Oh, I see."

Rabastan seem to realize his mistake. He stopped as well, turning to look at her. "Wait, that's not what I meant. It's not you." He took a step toward her, closing the distance between them.

"You are one of the most beautiful, sophisticated, stunning girls I've ever met, and I've met a lot of girls," he attempted another joke. "So it's not that I don't want to marry you, it's just a lot to get my head around."

His words seem to echo her sentiments exactly.

"It's all right." She took a deep breath, "I understand you completely."

He half-smiled, then he lifted his arm and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. He left it there, and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

"I want to get to know you Andromeda, away from the formality of our family gatherings." He paused, and then said, "are you going to the dance?"

She opened her eyes. "Yes."

He leaned in, brushing his lips across her cheek.

"Save a dance for me, okay?"

He didn't wait for her to response, though he must have considered the redness in her cheeks to be a positive sign, as he walked away smiling.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's following the story. Don't forget to leave a review!

* * *

><p>"Are you joking me!" Ted's friend, Lorie shouted as James Potter ducked under yet another bludger to score yet another point for Gryfindor. "How could you have missed him?"<p>

"Are you cheering for Slytherin?" Ted asked, eyebrows raised.

Lorie blushed. "No." But as both Ted and his other friend, Jake, glared at her, she threw her hands up in the air, her silver-blond hair whipping up. "Fine, but just because I'm tired of Gryffindor winning all the time."

Ted was pretty sure that wasn't the reason. He was pretty sure it had to do with the Slytherin chaser and team captain being Lorie's obsession. He looked over to his other friend, Liv, to confirm this. She just rolled her eyes. Despite their convenient nicknames, Liv and Lorie, Olivia looked nothing like Lorie with her brown skin, curly black hair, and hazel eyes.

"Though those Gryffindor boys do have amazing hair." Lorie sighed. Ted glanced at them again. How could she even tell? Everyone's hair looked the same from this distance.

"Mmm… Especially Sirius Black." Olivia said, but Ted could say she was mostly saying it to anger him. That was one of the perks of being someone's ex. You always knew what got under their skin, and you weren't afraid to bring it up. Just like he knew he could bring up the word flesh, and she'd start shuddering.

Except he didn't feel like messing around with Liv, so instead he leaned back in his chair, watching the players zoom around the Quidditch pitch without really processing what any of them we're doing. He hated watching Quidditch— it made him want to play too much— and he wasn't really invested in the outcome of this match. Sure, he hated the Gryffindors much less than the Slytherins since they weren't a bunch of pompous scumbags who went around tormenting muggleborns, but both teams had a habit of squashing his own and then getting a really big head about it.

His gaze drifted over the match to the student sections, particular the Slytherin section. It was nigh impossible trying to pick Andromeda among the sea of green, and he shouldn't be trying to anyway. Nor should he be thinking about her. He still wasn't sure exactly what was happening with them. Sure, they met up for meals by the lake. And sure, she didn't treat him like he was mud on her boots, but she still refused to acknowledge him when anyone else was around. And a few days ago she'd freaked out when he'd touched her skin. Granted, that had been a really stupid move on his part. He still wasn't sure why he'd done it.

He stopped, squinting his eyes and he peered at the Slytherin stands. A student was getting up and leaving, a student that had long, glistening brown like Andromeda's. Was it Andromeda? Where was she going?

She disappeared behind the stands, but Ted couldn't stop staring where she'd been. He might not get another opportunity like this, but if he didn't hurry…

He stood up.

"Where are you going?" Liv asked.

He began to edge his way past the other students, most of whom gave his disgruntled looks as he pushed past them.

"The Loo," he shouted to Liv over his shoulder, but he didn't stay to make sure she'd heard before he broke free of the last person and made it to the steps that led out of the stands. He barely noticed where his feet were going as he raced toward the castle. He stopped as soon as he passed the Womping Willow. He glanced over at the lake, but there was no one there. The path leading up to the castle was empty. Had she already made it inside? He was just about to start forward when something moved out of the corner of his eye.

Andromeda was heading toward the forbidden forest. He raised his eyebrows? She was skipping out on a quidditch match to go somewhere banned? Maybe it wasn't Andromeda after all, but he'd come this far, he might as well check.

The closer he got, the more it looked like her, until he was almost certain. Forcing away his incredulity, he reached for her shoulder.

"Hey, Andr—"

The moment his fingers touched her robe she whipped around, eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" she hissed through her teeth, even though no one was around to hear them.

"Actually," he reached his hand behind his head to hide his disappointment that she'd gotten into a tizzy because he scarcely touched her again, "I came to ask you the same question."

"What if someone sees? she hissed again, backing away from them.

"Everyone's at the match," he said. He wasn't even sure why he was arguing with her, it just seemed that after he'd done through all this effort, he might as well make it worth his while. Yeah, that was it.

She let out a long breath. "It's still not a good idea."

He perked up. That wasn't a no, per say, and she wasn't demanding that leave, so as she turned to go, he fell in step behind her.

"So," he said, "what entices the great and noble and Andromeda Black to go traipsing through the forbidden forest. Emphasis on the word, forbidden, as in, against school rules."

Andromeda flushed, but stayed silent. Apparently letting him tag along did not mean she was going to speak to him.

"I'm not going in very far," she said finally, surprising him. "Just to the pavilion."

Okay, so it wasn't the brave adventure he'd imagined where he and Andromeda stood back to back, fighting off giant spiders, but they'd still be together, alone, in the forbidden forest.

He shook his head. His wild imagination was getting the best of him again.

"Are you going to the dance?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She glanced at him, her gaze almost hostile. "What?"

"The dance," he said, shrugging, like he hadn't abruptly changed the topic at all, "are you going to it?"

But her gaze was no less hostile as she said, "Why?"

He glanced at the ground to hide his blush. "Just asking."

It's not like it really mattered on way or another. They'd have a hard time even finding each other wearing masks in the crowded entrance hall, not to mention the crowds, which would prevent them from being able to interact with each other in case someone recognized them, but the idea of her being there made him dread it just a little less. Curse Lorie and Liv playing the friendship card and dragging him along.

True to her word, she stopped just outside the pavilion, right next to a cluster of bushes. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pouch, and dipped her fingers into it. They came out covered with some soft, yellow powder.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Pollen," she said as she knelt down next to the bush. She extended her fingers out and froze, the only movement the steady rise and fall of her chest. He waited, but nothing happened.

"What are you—"

"Shh," she interrupted, still not moving.

He was about to ask again when the bushes rustled, and then slowly, something crawled out from under. It was a small creature, about the size of Quaffle, covered in silky, brown fur; with large-blue eyes that peered at them curiously. It shuffled forward, its legs seemingly hidden underneath it's fluff. It sniffed her hand, hesitantly at first, and then more eagerly. The next moment its long pink tongue began to lick the pollen off her fingers.

"A Puffskein," Ted said. The only place he'd seen those was in a shop in Daigon Alley. "How did you know they were here?"

"Professor Kettleburn told me." She looked at Ted and smiled, holding up the bag. "Would you like to try?"

He took the bag and dipped his fingers in the soft powder before crouching down next to Andromeda. He half-expected her to cringe at his sudden proximity, but she didn't move. Ignoring the lightness in his chest, he held his fingers out. A moment later another Puffskein emerged from under the bush.

It tickled as it licked his fingers, but Ted was used to animals. As soon as it finished eating the powder he slid his hand under its chin, gently scratching the soft fur. The Puffskein lazily closed its eyes, emitting a soft humming sound.

"I think he likes you," Andromeda said.

"All animals like me." He shrugged. Upon seeing Andromeda curious expression he added, "I grew up on a farm."

"You're a farmer?" she asked.

"Technically I'm a magician," he said, bracingly, but she didn't seem to be listening.

She gently stroked her puffskien as she sighed. "My sister's allergic to most animals, so we never kept any, but I always wanted too." She looked over at him. "What's it like on a farm?"

"Smelly." He grinned, and she chuckled. "No it's nice, a lot of work though, but there's something immensely satisfying about knowing you created something, you know?"

"I can imagine," she whispered. She was still looking at him. It seemed they'd drawn closer without either of them noticing. Andromeda smelled nice, like warm cinnamon rolls. Somehow he'd never noticed that before.

She was still looking at him, their faces somehow even closer than before. His gaze drifted from her eyes to her lips. Her red, full lips. He leaned in, his eyes closing…

And then a loud, crude voice cut through the silence.

Both he and Andromeda sat up so suddenly, they scared their Puffskeins, who returned, trembling, to their undergrowth home.

Another voice said something, and others laughed. There were several people, and they were coming this way.

"Go." Andromeda hissed, motioning with her hands. He did what she said, without really registering that he was doing so. A large oak tree seemed like the most obvious hiding place. He'd barely dived behind it when the boys came into the clearing.

It was a good thing he'd moved, as he recognized those boys. They were all Slytherin, but not any of the ones good enough to make it on the team. Still, he recognize Amycus Carrow right away, as well as two boys whose last names he was pretty sure were Yaxley and Macnair. There was another boy with them too, one Ted didn't know as well. Was Snape his name?

"Hey there, doll!" Amycus proclaimed loudly, while his mates sniggered. Andromeda turned around, and their smug looks disappeared.

Amycus cleared his throat and straightened his spine, like that would somehow erase his earlier word. "Andromeda, what are you doing out her by yourself?"

Andromeda dodged the question, smiling politely. "Did we win the match?"

The broad smile slipped off Amycus's features. "It's impossible to play a fair game against those cheating, Gryffindor scroundels, but we'll prevail next time, I'm sure."

Ted snorted, and then clapped his hand over his mouth, but no one seem to notice.

"Would you like us to escort you back up to the castle?" Amycis offered his arm to her, his horrible grin back in place. "Who knows what could befall a lady such as yourself in a wood where werewolves and mudbloods run amock."

Andromeda smiled, somehow able to keep her thoughts on Amycus's statement to herself. He was going to have ask her how she did that sometime, assuming she really was offended that Amycus had put werewolves and mudbloods in the same context.

"Besides," Yaxley added, "I think Rabastan was looking for you."

A bitter taste rose in Ted's mouth as he strained to get a better look at Andromeda. Why was that spoiled, pretty-boy looking for her? Andromeda blushed slightly, which only made Ted feel worse as she took Amycus's arm and headed up the path.

He didn't know why he was still watching, but he was. It's not like he could come out until they were gone. Just before they reached the edge of the trees Andromeda looked back. She didn't know exactly where he'd hidden, but her eyes brushed over his heading place anyway. His pulse quickened, and continued to beat heavily as she turned back around.


	7. Chapter 7

Andromeda tucked her hair behind her ear as she puzzled over the last question on her transfiguration homework. It was a bright, beautiful day, but even the fresh breeze could only do so much for her sore, over-worked brain. It's like the more she studied, the more her brain grew until it was pushing at the sides of her school. But of course, that was ridiculous.

Still though, it was better to have a stuffed brain outdoors than a stuffed brain indoors, even if she was more likely to run into Rabastan out here.

"Hey Andromeda!" She looked up, half-annoyed, half-amused. She had wanted to avoid interaction with anyone, but she could never say no to Sirius. "There's my favorite cousin, how have you been?" He came up and plopped on the ground next to her, making himself comfortable. Apparently he intended to stay for a while. She looked to see his entourage of friends bringing up the rear. She shouldn't have to look though, they rarely went anywhere without each other. They stopped a few feet behind their friend. Remus Lupin smiled and gave her a friendly wave, while the other, James Potter, merely folded his arms across his chest and gave her a brisk nod. He'd never much liked her. He was a staunch hater of all Slytherins and this included Andromeda, but out of respect for Sirius he never said anything to her. And there was Peter Pettigrew cowering behind him, looking at Andromeda with wide, fearful eyes. That was encouraging.

She smiled politely at Sirius's question, "All right, how about—"

"Is it true?" he interrupted.

She blinked, derailed. "Is what true?"

"That you're considering pulling a Sirius and abandoning the Black Bandwagon?"

Andromeda's eyes widened and she blushed a deep red, "No! I'm… who told you that?"

"Narcissa."

The book slipped out of Andromeda's fingers. "She said that?"

Sirius smirked. "Well no, not really, she just said she was concerned because she found you talking to a muggleborn. She was discussing it very loudly from the bathroom. Which I know not because I was in the girls' bathroom, but outside it, installing a very persistent pair of nifflers…"

"A muggleborn?" His friend Potter interrupted, walking closer and glancing at Andromeda with lidded eyes.

"Yeah, Ted Tonks, you remember Ted Tonks right?" Sirius said.

James cast her another furtive glance, before returning to Sirius, his mind whirring. "Doesn't he play quidditch or something?"

"Yeah, for Hufflepuff, he's their chaser, and a sixth year, like our dear Andromeda."

But Potter didn't care about any of this. "And you were talking to him?" The disbelief in his voice was almost condescending. He was clearly expecting an answer, as was Sirius.

Andromeda wasn't getting out of this one, much as she might want to. She sighed, closing the book in front of her, and resignedly explained, "Professor Kettleburn asked the two of us to help him prepare something, and afterwards I… I had a question about our charms homework."

"You had a question about homework?" Sirius snorted.

"And you decided to ask the mudblood? " Potter cut in. "Aren't they just stupid scum who don't know anything about magic anyway?"

Andromeda felt another rush of heat wash over her. Ted used to say similar things, but there was something about the way that Potter said it that drove her over the edge.

"You know who you sound like?" she said.

His eyebrows knitted, confused. "No?"

She glared at him, struggling to keep the venom out of her voice. "Narcissa."

"Narcissa?" he repeated, "as in—"

"As in my sister," she finished, almost smiling. "Narcissa Black."

James potter took an involuntary step back, nostrils flaring. "You're saying I'm a—"

"I'm saying you would've made a great Black if things had worked out a little differently."

His jaw twitched, and the barriers that kept his hatred up came crashing down. "You dare say that to me?" he snarled, stalking towards her, " you little—"

Lupin darted forward and grabbed Potter's arm. "Easy James." he placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Did you hear what she said about me?"

"Yeah," he said, fighting a grin. "And you deserved it. You're being a jackass."

"Don't be so quick to defend her, Remus," Sirius cut in, laughing. He clearly found James' and Andromeda's conversation amusing. "Andromeda can take of herself. Did I ever tell you guys about what she did to me when I threatened to set her Shakespeare collection on fire? She freakin' set my hair on fire."

"Really?" Peter Pettigrew finally spoke, his voice sounding squeakier and mousier than Andromeda thought possible.

"Yep, that's our Andromeda, the little spitfire."

Andromeda wasn't sure what she was doing, but the next second she was slamming her book into her bag, swinging her bag over her shoulder, and storming off toward the castle.

"Hey Wait! Andromeda, don't get all hot under the collar, I was only joking." Sirius shouted after her.

She turned. "I'm not really in a joking mood right now."

He held up his hands. "All right. Jeez, what's got you so uptight?"

She opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say. She closed it and stared at the ground in front of her, swallowing. "Nothing, I'm just… stressed, that's all."

"Because of the engagement?"

His words hit her like a slap, and she stiffened, her eyes narrowing, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"Engagement?" Potter said, like he was sure he'd heard it wrong, and then he looked over at her. His face was contorted and pinched, like he'd just smelled something awful. "You're getting married?"

"Married?" Peter Pettigrew said, sounding almost afraid of the word.

"Yep," Sirius answered, his eyes never leaving Andromeda's face. "To Rabastan Lestrange, of all people."

"Why the hell would you want to marry him?" Potter said, disgusted.

"He's very handsome?" Remus said from behind them.

Potter turned toward him. "You think he's handsome, Moony?" His lip was still curled, but his usual overconfident smile was back in place. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"You ask why somebody would want to marry him." He gave his friend an almost reproving look. "And in our modern society that's a very applicable answer."

"Right," Potter said, returning to Andromeda, his eyes gleaming. "So is that it, Andromeda? Is that why you want get in bed with—"

"Don't be a prat." Sirius cut him off. "It's arranged. Isn't it, Meda?"

"Arranged?" Potter said, he had apparently decided he found this topic amusing, not disgusting. "You guys still do that?"

Andromeda suddenly had the urge to throw her book at his head, or give him tentacles on his face, but instead she said. "Yes, Mr. Potter, we do. Us and barbaric ways."

He held up his hand, warding off her hostility. "Aren't you to young?"

"They're going to wait until I finish school." Why was she even answering his questions? She whirled on Sirius. "How do you know about this?"

He gave her a pretend haughty look. "I'm a seer. I just know this stuff."

Potter snorted.

"Alright fine, I got it from Regulus, but I technically beat it out of him so that counts for something." He caught potter's eye, who winked at him.

Andromeda had had enough of this. "Wonderful," she muttered, hoisting her bag over her shoulder and turning again towards the castle.

"Wait," Sirius's voice had finally lost most of its casual air. "Come on. Don't be like this." He caught her shoulder and whirled her around. "Look, I'm worried about you. How are you handling this whole ordeal? Is there…" his hand slipped off her shoulder, "is there anything I can do?"

Andromeda had never seen him like this. So serious (okay yes, his name was Sirius, but he never acted like it), caring? Caring wasn't the word. He's always been nice he just wasn't really, forward about it. Concerned? Empathetic? She didn't know, but whatever it was it caught her completely off guard.

"I… thank you," she said, meaning it, "but there's not anything to be done."

"Oh?" his charisma returned. "Not so, we could transform Rebastard into a slug, which would make a wedding difficult."

"I'd be game for that." James said, coming up behind Sirius and giving Andromeda an almost smile. It was probably the nicest thing he'd ever said to her.

"Thank you, but I'll pass. They'd probably make me marry him still anyway."

"Damn, I knew I'd forgotten something." Sirius grinned at her out of a lopsided mouth. "But seriously, are you all right? Because this, well, this is pretty big."

"I—"Something had caught Andromeda's eye from across the field. Someone with blond hair was making their way along the bank, someone that looked like... Ted. It had to be, she recognized his gangly walk. He sat down, in their spot, alone, even though there were groups of people milling around, enjoying this uncharacteristically warm day before winter set in.

Her chest tightened. Ted wasn't often alone. He was usually surrounded by at least one of his friends, and every now and then she caught him in a bigger group. But not now. He was staring at the ground, so she couldn't see his face, but she could see that he was pulling up grass around him, like he always did when he was frustrated.

They never spoke to each other when others were around. They scarcely even looked at each other. But she'd never seen him look so dejected before? Was something wrong?

"Andromeda?" Sirius said.

She sighed. She shouldn't go talk to him, but she was worried about him. Maybe she could arrange a meeting when less people would be around.

"I—"she fumbled, "I'm sorry, I have to go." And she took off.

"Go? Now? Wait? What? All right." He accepted her decision quickly. "Hey Andromeda?" Apparently she couldn't not turn when people called her name, because she did.

"They don't own you, all right? Just remember that."

His words stopped her, but there was no time to think about them. She had to do this, before she lost her nerve.

Ted didn't see her at first. Not until she was a few feet away. Somebody brushed past her, knocking into her shoulder.

'"Pardon me," Andromeda said, even though it was their fault, but whoever it was clearly wasn't paying attention to anything, not even her apology. She'd spoken softly, but Ted looked up, startled. They stood frozen, and then Ted slowly stood up. Andromeda didn't stop to think about what she was doing, she just walked forward. He didn't smile the way he usually did when he saw her, yet there was something about his eyes that drew her in. She stopped when she was a few feet from him, just close enough to touch.

"Ted, I—"

"Andromeda!" The next second Rabastan had grabbed her by the arm and had wheeled her around to face him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ted turn away as well. She prayed that Rabastan hadn't seen her speaking to him, wouldn't even notice he was there. It was an easy wish, Rabastan generally only noticed himself.

"Is disappearing off the face of the planet a habit of yours?" His hand slid up her arm. "Because you do it brilliantly."

"I've just been busy studying," Andromeda said, Rabastan had reached her shoulder and gripped it firmly, sending shivers down her spine and making it difficult to breath.

"That's not what Narcissa said; she said you were hiding out in your dorm room all day," Rabastan continued. It seemed he could tell what affect his touch was having on her, as he moved his hand to her should blade, pulling her in closer.

"Are you avoiding me, Andromeda? Because it sure seems like it."

A few people snickered. Rabastan was surrounded by his usual gang of boys. His brother, obviously, as well as Lucius Malfoy and Lester Yaxley, who were both leering down at her. Behind them stood Antonin Dolohov, who looked bored. Evan Rosier was also a usual member, but Andromeda could guess why he was absent.

She went red. "I'm not, I just…" she realized what she needed to do, she pulled out a breathless tone. "I can't think clearly around you, Bastan, and I needed some time to clear my head." That got the reaction she wanted. He grinned as his hands moved down her back, toward her waist. She pulled her hands out of the way, so he wouldn't notice what she was holding.

"So, did you need something?" she said, mostly because his hands were continuing to drop, and that was making her uncomfortable.

"Do I need a reason to see you?" She gave him a stern look, at least as stern as she could muster.

He glanced around his friends, like he was looking for a confirmation of some sort. They nodded at him, smirking. He returned to her.

"I just… there's something I wanted to do, before the dance tomorrow."

She shivered at his words, but she didn't have time to prepare herself, as the next moment his lips we on hers.

Andromeda couldn't help it, she gasped. His lips were like honey, soft and tantalizing. His hand slipped passed her cheek and down her neck, forcing her to arch up into him, his other hand pressed her hips firmly against him and then dragged up her body, aligning it with his. She forgot her reservations; she forgot her fear of him. All she knew is that she would do anything, anything to be kissed like this again.

And then something hit her sharply from the side, and she stumbled, falling out of Rabastan's grasp. Someone had knocked into her, someone with long, shaggy blond hair. Ted. She stared at him before the reality of the situation washed over her. She tried to catch his eye, but he wasn't looking at her, his eyes focused on Rabastan.

"Sorry," he said, his voice tense.

"Sorry?" Rabastan repeated, chuckling darkly. "You'd better be sorry, mudblood."

Ted's brow darkened, but he chuckled as well. "Is that how you talk in front of your girlfriend?"

Oh no. Andromeda thought, oh no. It was one thing to get entangled with Amycus, he was too stupid to fight back. But Andromeda had seen these guys in action, and she knew exactly what they were capable of.

"Tonks, isn't it?" Rabastan continued, while Andromeda felt the rest of the Slytherins coming up behind them, forming a sort of semi-circle around the three of them. "Your smart-ass reputation precedes you."

"Rabastan," Ted acknowledged. "Your bastard ways precede you."

He was dead.

She felt a few of the boys hiss behind her, and she shot a glance at Ted, hoping he would notice her, and stop this.

Rabastan stepped around her. "I hear you have a habit of sticking your mudblood noise where it doesn't belong."

"And I hear you have a habit of sleeping with more than one girl at a time. Is it true you're once got three of them in the same bed?" He looked at Andromeda as he said this, and she realized what he was implying. Her face burned. She stopped worrying about protecting him, and instead focused on not killing him herself.

"Why, are you jealous, little mudblood? Bet the only girls you get are those swarmy little muggles, can't be very satisfying can it? But then, I supposed you are a muggle so what's the difference—"

Lucius and Dolohov pulling their wands. She needed to act before this got out of hand. She sprang forward, placing herself firmly between Ted and Rabastan and forcing them to back away.

"That's enough." She briefly glanced between the two of them before turning toward Rabastan. "Look, just let it go, all right? This isn't worth wasting your time. And look at me." She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling warmly, "I'm fine, so just drop it." That might've been enough, but just in case she added, "don't let him spoil our first kiss."

Rabastan still looked furious, but she could see him warming up under her touch. He brushed his hands across her hair.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to stop this epic romance." Ted said, trying to smirk but failing. She glared at him, hoping her take the hint and leave, and the boys around her tensed again.

Another Hufflepuff boy came up behind Ted and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go."

Ted looked like he would rather swallow stinksap, but he let himself be dragged away. His eyes found hers one more time, somehow looking dark despite their vibrant blue tone, before he allowed himself to be led up to the castle.

The boys around her muttered something, while Rabastan but his arm around her waist. Her heart fluttered, but only part of it. The other part of was still stuck on the look Ted given her. He'd never looked at her like that before, like his eyes burned away her skin. Like he hated her.


	8. Chapter 8

Lucky for Ted, he had Friday afternoons off. And it was also lucky he happened to know the Slytherin sixth years last class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures, meaning Andromeda would be coming in from the outside.

He buried his face in a book as they came up the steps, trying to peer incospiciously over the cover. There were several sixth year Slytherin's he'd rather not discover him lurking about.

She came in toward the end, but she wasn't alone. Another brown-haired slytherin girl was with her. Magdelena. Magdelena also tended to keep to herself, and he couldn't recall her ever calling someone a mudblood. And she'd smiled at him and Lorie on more than one occasion, so she probably hadn't done it on accident or because she was admiring herself in the mirror behind them. He decided to risk it.

He stepped out in front of Andromeda. "I need to talk to you."

The color drained from her face, while Magdelena raised her eyebrows. Clearly, not being a psychopath didn't mean she didn't understand the implication of Ted talking to Meda. She glanced between them with a slight frown, before saying, "I'll leave you to it." She gave Ted a polite smile before continuing toward the great hall.

Andromeda watched her friend go, before turning to him. With a glance around the hall, they rounded the corner and moved inside an unused classroom.

"You needed to speak with me?" Her voice was polite, but clipped. For some reason, that set him off.

"What's the matter, going to be late to a rendevouz with Rabastan?"

Andromeda stiffened, but she didn't deny it either. His stomach lurched, but he kept a lazy grin on his face as he said. "Are you still angry at me for insulting the pretty boy?"

"Yes, actually." She looked like she was speaking against her will, but she couldn't stop herself. "What were you thinking? Provoking them like that?"

But Ted didn't feel like answering her question, mostly because the answer was he hadn't been, thinking, that is.

"What's going between the two of you anyway?" He tried to keep his voice nonchalant, but it seemed his efforts had been for nothing, as Andromeda swelled like a balloon.

"That's none of your business."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? And how would he feel if he knew you were meeting with me a few times a week?"

He eyes widened. "You can't tell him."

"Why?" He swallowed the acid taste in his mouth. "Because it will mess things up for the two of you?"

She shook her head. "It will mess things up for you." There was something about the way she said that that made him uneasy, but he didn't want to feel uneasy. He wanted to be angry.

"So what? You'll giggle and smile when we're alone but as soon as other people are around I go back to being vermin?"

She let a long sigh. "What do you want me to, Ted?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Be honest."

She shook her head. "You don't know them like I do."

"Looks like I don't know you like I thought I did either." She sucked in breath, her brown eyes darting up to him. No matter how many times he saw them, his heart still skipped a beat every time.

"What did you think was going to happen?"

Funny, he'd asked himself that same question before.

"Clearly, I wasn't," he said. Funny, he'd thought that same thing earlier too, to another one of her questions. What a funny conversation they were having, complete with the feeling that his insides were being devoured by worms.

She folded her arms across her chest. "What are you saying?"

His heart thudded at her proximity, his mind spinning as he tried to absorb everything about her. His lips felt dry, but he still managed to say, "find someone else to be your back-up boy." And then he left her alone in that room.


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, Andromeda, open your eyes."

She did, as slowly as she dared.

She had to admit, her sister had done wonders. Half her hair was pulled up in an elegant bun, while the rest touched down just past her shoulders, a gentle curl fanning it out behind her.

She hadn't thought make-up was necessary, since the mask covered half her face anyway, but Narcissa felt differently. Her lips were now a deep red color, like wine, while her eyes were so decorated she couldn't tell where they ended and her blue and gold mask began. Extending out past the mask were swirling, sparkling lines that made it seem as though her entire face were one intricate, glowing design.

She had thought her dress, at least, would come up short. She'd been shocked at the dress her mother had sent her, a simple blue gown that seemed more like sleepwear than formal wear as it was uncharacteristically plain. And it was simple, made of a dark blue, satin-like material. It was extremely tight in places, accenting her tiny waist and flaring hips. Her full bosom peaked out over the uncomfortably low neckline. And there was some sort of charm on the fabric; whenever she moved it shimmered like a sapphire catching the sunlight. It was sleeveless, but gold chains and jewelry curled around her neck and arms, giving her pale, exposed skin a gentle glow.

She was beautiful. She was beyond beautiful; she was ravishing.

And it scared her. It was like an alien was staring at her from that mirror, a stranger inside her own body.

"Well, what do you think?"

"It's, my, Narcissa it's incredible."

"I know," she squealed, clapping her hands together, and then she added in a husky undertone, "Rabastan won't be able to take his eyes off you."

The thought made Andromeda's blood boil, or freeze, or both, so she tried not to think about it.

"Cissa?" A dark-haired girl, one of Narcissa's roommates, poked her head into their room. Gabriella Parkinson was her name. "Are you ready yet? We need to go."

Narcissa flicked her wrist at the girl. "Almost," she said, crossing over to her dresser and grabbing a jade pendant, which she carefully clasped around her neck. "There."

However good Andromeda looked, she was nothing compared to her sister. Narcissa was positively glowing in a shade of dark green that set off her eyes. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her dark eyes and matching jewelry; she looked like a green avenging angel.

"Meda, aren't you coming?" Narcissa pulled Meda out of her reverie.

She shook her head. "You go on. I'll be along in a minute."

Narcissa pinched her face together, like she was trying to puzzle through something, but failed. "All right." She gave Meda a strange look as she closed the door behind her.

Andromeda placed her hands on the vanity, breathing heavily, but it did little to slow her heart beat.

She hadn't seen either Ted or Rabastan since her fight with Ted. She still wasn't sure what was happening between her and Ted, but whatever it was, it was over. Somehow, that made the idea of seeing Rabastan all the worse. When she was with Ted, she felt in control, like there was some part of her life that belonged to her. Rabastan felt like a cage. A cage with soft, red lips that made her feel dizzy and warm all at once.

She didn't want to go to the dance. She wanted to curl up in a good book and never think about boys again, at least not real ones. But life wasn't about what you wanted; it was about what was expected of you. She turned to the door. If only she could leave her confusion behind her.

She barely recognized the Great Hall as she stepped inside. It had been literally transformed into a glittering, mystic ballroom. Glowing orbs scattered around the corners provided the only light on the dance floor. A wispy black mist swirled around the whirling couples, coming up to about her waist. The dancers looked like they were floating through it, the graceful ones at least.

She made her way to the side table as subtly as she could, but every time her dressed passed under the lights it glimmered, attracting attention. A few guys shifted towards her, openly looking her up and down as they tried to decide who was behind the mask. As she was forced to come in closer contact with people, she could feel a few people whispering, and from somewhere she heard a few whistles. She stopped, instinctively looking around, but it was impossible to tell where it was coming from.

She did her best not to run, walking towards the table in a far corner of the room, and then she tried even harder to keep herself from collapsing into the chair. She breathed out deeply, trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts. She should probably find her sisters, or Magdalena, one of her fellow sixth year Slytherins. Magdalena wasn't from one of the old wizarding families, so she wasn't quite in the circle. But she'd always been friendly to Andromeda, and Andromeda supposed she would consider her a friend. She was also one of the few other people who didn't join in the common room rants at night, which gave them something to bond over. But she had no idea where to find her, or even what she'd look like.

And somewhere here was Rabastan. She couldn't ignore his request, but the idea of dancing with him… images of him kissing her kept swirling in her head. Every kiss had been different. When he kissed her hand he was cold and formal, but when he kissed her cheek he was gentle and warm, and when he kissed her lips he was demanding and breathtaking. Was there really a difference? He always seemed like the same outrageously confident, smug, mysterious, seductive…. person that she'd known before, and yet, not. Perhaps he was a different person when he was away from his family and his fan club of girls. He'd certainly seemed different, a little more vulnerable, human.

She closed her eyes and another face crept into her thoughts, a face she wasn't allowed to think about—

"Andromeda?" She looked up, startled. Before her stood the last person she'd ever expect to approach her in a setting like this, Roldophus Lestrange.

Roldophus was technically a year older than his brother, but he'd completely missed his fifth year. No one knew why he hadn't come to school that year, but rumors were rampant. Some said he'd been really sick, while others thought he'd been sent to Azkaban. Some thought he'd been bitten by a werewolf and told he couldn't return, but then he'd come back the next year. He'd been forced to repeat his fifth year, obviously, which landed him in the same year as his brother. He was different after he came back, less inclined to interact with the other students. He'd always been mysterious, like his brother, but where Rabastan was charismatic and popular; Roldolphus was legendary, and completely isolated. tTe loner. But as far as Andromeda could tell, it was what he wanted. He was a bit like her older sister in that regard.

"How could you tell it was me?" she asked.

She'd meant it light-heartedly, but he didn't even smile, at first. And then it was only a small, amused smile.

"Only you are so beautiful, and so determined to hide." His words were oddly chilling.

"Do you need something?" she tried to keep her voice steady.

Another long silence, then, "Bastan was looking for you, and I offered to bring you to him." He held out a hand. "Shall we?" "

However unsettling Rabastan might be, he would never come within leagues of his brother. But to refuse would've been impolite, and if he was to be her future brother-in-law, she'd better start getting used to him. Goodness knows she needed the time.

He led her through the many groups of dancers and chatterers to a group near the center. It seemed all of the wealthy Slytherin families had decided to band together for the occasion. It made sense. They'd grown up going to these sort of things together, it was what they were used too. Both her sisters were there, as well as Evan Rosier, Lucius Malfoy, and Claire Zabini, a fellow sixth year. But Rabastan Lestrange was missing.

Claire turned towards her, her dark eyes flashing. "Is that you, Andromeda? My goodness, don't you look ravishing." Andromeda had never got the impression that Claire liked her, but she supposed she dared not say anything with Bellatrix so close. The only reason her own reputation had survived this long is no own dared insult the sister of Bellatrix Black, and she couldn't exactly say she was ungrateful.

"I'm glad Roldophus found you," Claire continued. "It's a madhouse here. You can't see anyone, and even if you could you can't tell who they are. No way to tell if the boy running his hands up your ass is a mudblood or wizard. Ughh, can you imagine accidentally dancing with one? The thought's revolting."

"I vote we just hex them all," Amycus Carrow cut in, "save ourselves the trouble."

"Meda!" Narcissa cut in, sparing Andromeda from having to respond to either of them. "Where have you been? Rabastan's been waiting for you!" She grabbed her sister's arm, throwing her forward.

"Do you see that light?" She indicated to a glowing blue orb in the center of the hall. "Go stand under it. Your dress will just absolutely glimmer and when Rabastan sees you and asks you to dance… oh! It will be so romantic! Go on." She gave her sister another shove forward, and before she could protest, she was standing alone in the middle of the great hall.

She took another deep breath, waiting. She'd only promised one dance, that was it. He wouldn't expect more, would he? Or would we? They were engaged after all, maybe she'd be expected to dance every dance with him, spend the whole evening with him…

"Andromeda?"

Her breath stopped. He was here, there was nothing more she could do. She turned around to dance with her fiancé.

"Rabastan?" she asked, but he didn't respond, just held out his hand. She took it, and he led her away to a far, secluded corner. Her pulse sped up. That didn't seem like Rabastan, he always preferred to be where everyone could see him, the center of attention. His motives for wanting privacy could only be things that made her very uncomfortable.

"Where are we going?" she asked, but he still didn't answer. Instead he stopped, whirled her close to him, and began to dance. Andromeda's breath caught. She could feel his body gently brushing up against hers, his hand sliding across her waist, and his warm hand in hers.

The world spun around her but this one moment stood still, outside of time. She couldn't think, she could barely remember to breath, but even though her heart was still racing a part of her just gave in, gave into everything, the moment, the feeling, and then…

And then he stepped on her foot.

"Ow!" She looked up at him in shock. His hands fell away from her, nervously twitching at his side in a very familiar fashion.

"Sorry, I'm not actually very good at this whole dancing thing."

Andromeda took a step back. "Ted?" she said, her mouth hanging open.

He attempted a smile. "Who else?" Andromeda didn't laugh. She'd thought, after the way things had ended between them, that he'd never want to speak to her again, much less dance with her. It didn't make any sense.

"We're you ever going to tell me it was you?"

"Uhh…" He ran his hand through his hair again. "Eventually. I was kind of afraid something like— this— would happen."

"I see." Andromeda took another deep breath. A part of her wanted to reach out and strangle Ted, but she resisted. "I hope you enjoy being right." Then she whipped around and stormed off.

"Andromeda, wait!" He caught up to her."Look, I'm sorry all right?"

She faced him, surprised. "You're sorry?" Sorry about what was the real question. Sorry that he hadn't told who he was or sorry that…

It seemed the same question was on his mind, and that he didn't know the answer. She shouldn't wait for him to figure it out, but here she was. Waiting.

"Look, can we just start over?"

Something inside her shifted, but she sighed and said, "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

She couldn't quite see his face under his gold mask, but his shoulders slumped a little.

"Is that a maybe, then?" His voice, however, sounded hopeful.

"How did you even know it was me?" She dodged his question.

He just looked at her, like he was unsure what to say.

"Because you said you liked blue?" he said it like he was trying to see if she would actually believe him.

She just huffed, her hand still tangled in her hair. She could feel some of the curls coming down around her face. What would her sister do if she knew Meda had already ruined her hair? The image made her smile, but it was quickly replaced by the image of Cissa seeing her with Ted. The smile slipped off her face.

She looked at him again. She hadn't really had the chance to see him before, but now she could.

He was wearing a simple black dress robe that even looked a bit frayed, which would've been her first indicator that it wasn't Rabastan if she'd been paying attention. Still, it was a snug suit and she could see the outline of his solid build through it. She tried not to think about what she'd seen under his shirt, but the image slipped in anyway. What really caught her attention was his simple gold mask. It was just a shade darker than his thick golden hair, which looked as messy as it usually did. It was kind of funny looking, a nice mask and then, just above, Ted's mop of straggly hair. She almost smiled, almost. And then there were his eyes, which somehow seemed even brighter under his mask, or maybe it was because they had never stared at her so intently. She found herself meeting his gaze.

She broke the connection, hastily gathering up her skirts. "Goodnight, Ted."

"Would you just…" He moved in front of her, blocking her path. "I know we have our issues, but before then we had a nice thing going, and I just think…" he rolled on the balls of his feet, shifting restlessly, "I think that's worth enough to… to give this another shot."

It certainly sounded like a nice idea. And as she looked at him, she wanted so badly to say yes. But they'd been playing with fire, and it was probably best to let it go out.

"I'm sorry." Ted looked away, so she couldn't see his face. Ignoring the sudden heaviness in her chest she started forward, but he stepped in front of her.

"Can we at least, you know, dance? As a commemoration of our brief but meaningful friendship?"He held out his hand.

She shouldn't take it. She knew she couldn't take it, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Just one dance," she stammered, trying not to trip as he flung her forward, "And if you step on my foot again I swear to God I'll—"

He stopped, wrapping her in his arms again.

"You'll what?" he prompted, his eyes dancing.

She stared at him. "Hurt you," she whispered, breathless. He just smiled.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who has followed/favorite this story. Don't forget to leave a review!

To guest: I'm glad you like it. xD And I'll do my best to be consisting with updating.

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><p>Ted placed his hand around her waist and took her hand, but he didn't pull her as close as he had before. He let there be distance between them, though she could feel the tension in his hand on her back. It shifted restlessly, crawling forward and then pulling itself back. She glanced up at Ted, then down at her waist, then back up at Ted.<p>

"You know your hand actually goes on the small of back?"

He pressed his lips together, "Of course, who doesn't know that?" But he turned crimson anyway as he started to move his hand up.

She reached back and caught his arm. Then she stepped closer, just close enough to brush her body up against his. He got the message, and his hand wrapped around her waist, securing her there. They were so close she could feel his breath. He was staring at her, and suddenly she couldn't take any more of those eyes. She turned her head. What was she doing? If anyone recognized her she was doomed. Most people didn't know she was engaged, but a few of them had caught her and Rabastan staring at each other. His fan club, at least, had picked up that something was going on between them. But then, if any Slytherin saw her, and realized who she was, she was dead.

She felt Ted's hand loosen, and she slipped backward. She looked up at him, now that there was room to breathe between them. Something in her heart sank a little though, but he grinned at her crookedly, and she couldn't help but grin back, and this time she didn't break eye contact. They continued to dance, the music a soft, haunting melody, but Meda barely noticed. She forgot about the people, about Rabastan, about everything. There was just his body next to hers, his hand in her hand, his blue eyes gazing into her brown ones. The two of them outside of time as they danced for a moment.

The people around her stopped moving. Somehow, she hadn't noticed the song ended. She looked up at his face, and then hastily backed away with an almost horrified look. He released her, reluctantly. His mouth parted as though he wished to say something, but couldn't remember how to talk.

"I have to go." She gave him a brief curtsy, not registering how out of place that was for a school dance.

"What am I to you Andromeda?".His question caught her off guard, and she found herself stopping and turning again. He was staring at her, his eyes no longer hopeful and mystified.

"I don't—"

"Or was I? I guess I should say," he stepped forward. "Was this always just a game to you? Was I just some toy for you to play with, and then throw out when you were done with me?"

His words stung, but her own anger quickly overcame her hurt and she spat, "you know it's not that simple."

He threw his arms in the air, "Nothing's simple, Andromeda! And I get it, I get that you couldn't parade what we're doing, but this meant something to me." He stopped, looking her over again. "I guess I thought it meant something to you to."

She closed her eyes, she couldn't give him the answer he wanted, she couldn't. "Ted, I—

But he wasn't listening as he backed away.

Her chest rose and fell, slowly, as she stared after him. But wasn't this what she wanted. To keep things over?

"Andromeda?" Another voice said behind her. A softer voice, more like a purr. She didn't need to see him to know for sure it was Rabastan this time.

"They weren't exaggerating, you look fantastic." His eyes lingering on her dress before returning to her face. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you." He took her hand, and she jumped, startled.

"Andromeda?" Her name sound so different when he said it, less, mysterious, "Are you all right?"

"I—" she couldn't help it, she looked over her shoulder where Ted had disappeared before returning her attention to Rabastan.

"I'm fine. I just.." she breathed, then smiled up at him, "I'm sorry it's been so hard for us to find each other." He smirked, taking her hand in his, and then he lifted his other hand and stroked her cheek.

"Then let's not waste another second."

Like she expected, her led her to the center of the dance floor, where everyone could see them.

Unlike Ted, he knew to place his hand on her back, except he used it press her against him. She looked sharply to the side, choosing instead to watch the couples that were twirling around them. She saw Narcissa with the Slytherin Seeker Torin Flint. Her sister made a face at her before gesturing to Rabastan. Reluctantly, Andromeda looked back to her dance partner. Rabastan was looking at her, a smile on his lips, which were now right next to hers. She quickly looked down, while still being able to watch him out of the corner of her eye. The smile slipped off his face a little.

"I'm sorry I kissed you."

She looked up, but meeting his gaze was still too much and her eyes wuickly turned over her shoulder.

"You don't need to be sorry," she said. She wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that he was, either. Did that mean he didn't like it?

"But I am." He sighed. "The boys asked me why I was paying so much attention to you, so I lied and said we were going out. And then they asked me to prove it." He looked down a little. "I still haven't told anyway we're engaged."

"Me neither," Andromeda said. "I mean my sisters know, but no one else."

"I told Rolf," Rabastan said. "He doesn't understand why I want to keep it a secret though."

But Andromeda did, and he seemed to sense that.

"To be fair though," he said after a pause, smiling again, "It's not like I minded kissing you. That much." She made a face at him, almost without thinking.

"It wasn't completely deplorable for me either," she said, and he grinned.

"May I interrupt?" Came another, purr-like voice. Rodolphus Lestrange was standing next to them.

"Of course." Rabastan nodded to his brother, gave her another smile, and then left.

For the third time tonight, someone held their hand out to her, though for the first time, she took it with trembling fingers.

Rodolphus didn't hold her nearly as close as Rabastan, or even Ted, but there wasn't a certain firmness to his grip, making her feel like she was more in his grasp than any of the others.

"So, were to be family soon."

She nodded, forcing a smile, which he didn't return. She wasn't not sure if he meant that as good thing anyway. It was more like a statement of fact, without him giving his opinion on the matter one way or another.

He didn't say anything else. Perhaps that was all he had to say. She couldn't bare to look at him anymore than Rabastan, which is how she ended up gazing around at the couples again. There were a lot of Slytherin's around her; Lucius Malfoy and Luciana Nott, both the carrows, Dolores Umbridge, who was dancing by herself, Andromeda noted, and her sister, Belllatrix, and Evan Rosier. Her sister caught her stare, but her gaze quickly drifted to Meda's partner, Roldolphus. She raised her eyebrows, and then made a face at Meda. Andromeda bit back a chuckle. It was moments like those where Bella felt like the lovable older sister she remembered and not…

"Rabastan seems to care for you," Rodolphus's voice surprised her.

"Yes. And the feeling's mutual." She almost winced at how forced that sounded, even though she was not sure it was forced.

Rodolphus almost smiled. "He cares for a lot of women. Truly, my brother has terrible sense when it comes to the female sex."

Andromeda pressed her lips together. What was she supposed to say to that?

"But you, you seem different." His voice barely had any inflexion, and his face was near expressionless, making it impossible to determine his meaning.

"You play the pretty, simpering, obedient daughter, but there's something else in you, isn't there? You're not nearly as airy as you seam."

She blushed, though she wasn't quite sure why.

The song songs ended. Rodolphus released her and walks away. She stared after him, a slight frown on her lips. It felt like there was something else he needed to say for that conversation to make sense. Like he'd left before he'd actually gotten to the point. She shook her head. Trying to understand Rodolphus seemed like more trouble than it was worth. At least the strangest part of the evening was over.

She was wrong. Her next dance was with Antonin Dolohov. There weren't even words to describe what that encounter was like. Antonin was a thickset man with sweaty hands who towered over her. He didn't say anything, he just stared at her, the whole time.

After that she excused herself to get a breath of fresh air. She went out into the entrance hall, letting out a long breath as the much cooler air washed over her. The air inside was beginning to thicken from the sweat of dancing bodies.

She couldn't hide out here forever, as much as she might like too. But it was nice not to have to talk or dance with people for just a moment.

"Hey."

She looked over. Her heart seemed to lift a little at the sight of Ted, even though that didn't make any sense. They'd just had their second fight in a week. Who was to say he hadn't come back for a third?

Nothing. Which was why she needed to leave.

"Wait." He grabbed her sleeve. She stopped, even though they'd already been through this before tonight. It wouldn't lead to anything good. She knew this, yet she still didn't pull her arm out of his grip.

"I'm sorry. About what I said. It was wrong." That lightness returned to her chest, making her feel like she was floating. Still, all she did was nod, pulling her sleeve out from under his grip.

"Will you come with me? There's something I want to show you."

"Oh." She glanced back at the Great Hall. She really needed to head back inside, before someone wondered where she went. Yet the prospect of returning to the dance was so uninviting, whereas as the idea of going with Ted. Well, what harm could one more little venture together do?

He didn't smile when she agreed to come with him. By contrast he turned his back to her and walked away, forcing her to follow after him. He didn't look back at her at all, and the hair on the back of his head turned shiny under a line of sweat. What on earth was he doing?

As their venture grew longer she grew more impatient. What if someone noticed her absence and decided to come looking for her.

Ted finally stopped in the space underneath the grand staircase before turning to face her.

"What it is?" she asked, her frustration mounting.

He looked her over again, slowly, taking in every little detail of her body. His eyes lingered on the curves of her dress, her lips, and finally her eyes. There was a longing there she had never seen before. Raw. Desperate.

"This," And then he rushed forward, grabbed her arms…

And kissed her.

At first his lips were slow, hesitant, but when she didn't push him away he deepened it, like he was slowly pulling her out, into him.

Her entire body shuddered and she reached up her arms to push him away, but instead placed them firmly on his chest, and kissed him back. His breath caught as she responded, and he pulled back, only to come back and kiss her harder. Her hands slipped off his chest, moving up to wrap around his neck, pulling herself closer. He moaned softly, his hands running down the length of arms, towards her waist.

Someone behind them laughed. The two of them pulled apart just as two people, a boy and a girl, came barreling around the corner.

"Oh," the girl stopped laughing the moment she saw them. They were still standing rather close, and their hands were still on each other. The girl grinned sheepishly, looking over at her boyfriend. "Looks like we walked in on something, sorry." She giggled, then grabbed the boy's hand and sped off down the hallway.

Andromeda looked at him, her breath coming out in raspy gasps. She dropped her hands as she turned away. They flew to her mouth, and then she slowly forced them to straighten at her side. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, but she could still feel where his lips had been. She looked back, thinking, hoping, that Ted wasn't really there, but he was. He was staring at the floor, his hand tangled up in his hair, again. He looked up to meet her gaze. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, wide-eyed, breathless, lost. She kept thinking he was going to say something, but for once, he was silent.

Finally, the silence had reached a bursting point. He stepped forward. "Andromed—"

"Go."

He stopped, eyes widening in shock.

"I need you," she took a deep breath, "to go."

His shoulders slumped and the light in his eyes seemed to literally go out. "Andromeda, please—"

"Just get out here." The tears were getting closer to the edge of her eyelids. "Please."

He stumbled back, like a bird with broken wings. Finally he managed to turn around. He took a few steps, then glanced back at her. She turned away so he wouldn't see her tears.

When she looked back, he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

To Google McGoogle: Thanks for your review!

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><p>"And did you see what that Hufflepuff girl was wearing? Atrocious!" Marina Warrington said.<p>

"It certainly would've been a lot more enjoyable if the younger students hadn't been invited," Claire Zabini said, examining her hails. "But Andromeda had a good time, didn't you, Andromeda?"

Andromeda didn't respond, choosing instead to focus her attention on her sculpture. Professor Flitwick had the brilliant idea to have them practice their last few weeks of lessons by creating sculptures using magic. It was a good plan, in theory, except most people couldn't draw a dog, much like sculpt one with magic. Andromeda was determined not to be one of those people. And she didn't want to think about the dance, or what kind of time she'd had, or the Hufflepuff who was sitting a few seats in front of her.

Finally, mercifully, class ended. Ted got up quickly, and after a quick farewell to his friends, scurried toward the door. Andromeda watched him for a minute. They hadn't spoken since that Saturday night, they hadn't even looked at each other, but she could still taste his kiss on her lips. A part of her wanted to pretend it never happened, but she couldn't do that. She'd kissed another man, while she was engaged. That wasn't something you could just ignore.

And there was the part of her that couldn't forget Ted's kiss even if she wanted too.

Sighing, she pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and quickly scribbled on it. She folded it up so no one could see its contents and then hurried out the door.

To say Ted was surprised when she came scurrying up behind him was an understatement. He near jumped out of his skin, his face flushing. Andromeda scarcely allowed herself to look at him though and she handed him the slip of paper. He looked up at her, and she couldn't help but meet his gaze. His lips opened like he was going to say something, but she quickly backed away before he could.

Hogwarts was creepy at night. Despite everything else he could or should be thinking about, he couldn't help but notice the way the suits of armor looked like deformed spiders in the shadows. Though honestly, they were far less frightening than what might await him at his destination, if he had any idea what lay at his destination. Her note has only said Trophy room and midnight.

He was still fuming at her. Fuming at her for so many reasons he could scarcely keep track. The way she'd acted at the dance, like what had happened was his fault. He wasn't then one going around kissing pureblood prats and then getting all defensive about it. He wasn't the one lying through his teeth to everyone and anyone. He was even still angry that she'd stopped him from punching Rabastan last week. Granted, that would've brought the snakes on him for sure, but getting turned into a wombat was better than the empty, hollowness that was knawing away at his insides right now. He couldn't forget the way she'd curled into Rabastan that day he kissed her by the lake. How could he? It was like have a corkscrew through hammered through his gut. You didn't just forget pain like that.

Ted had never liked Rabastan, but not for the reasons he disliked the Bellatrix Blacks and Evan Rosiers of the world. Rabastan didn't hex people for the heck of it, but he was a self-absorbed little prick, yet because of his stunning good looks many of the girls, even the Gryffindor girls, got all faint-hearted around him. He hadn't thought Andromeda was one of those girls, but clearly he didn't know her as well as he thought he did. It was bad enough his friend Lorie had a crush on him, did he have to take Andromeda too? And why did she have to let him? Didn't she know who he was? He didn't love her, he couldn't, not the way Ted did.

He stopped. He hadn't been willing to admit it, even when watching her with Rabastan ripped him up inside. Even when he'd run all the way to his room and collapsed on his bed. It was only when he finally managed to calm down, to breathe, that he was forced to face it.

He was in love with Andromeda Black.

He loved Andromeda Black.

And he was screwed because of it.

It was one thing to have a secret friendship, but this? This was suicide. He knew it, and he didn't care. But she would.

_How do you get yourself into these situations? He wanted to scream. You couldn't leave her alone and now look?_ He was in over his head, practically drowning. He shouldn't have kissed her. He hadn't even meant to do it. He'd meant to just talk to her. But somehow his body had confused words with lips. And as much as he might want to he couldn't take it back.

He loved her, and there was a good chance it wouldn't mean a damn thing.

Except he was forgetting something, she wanted to meet him. She hadn't sought out Rabastan, she'd sought him. That had to count for something.

Yeah, a barrel full of dragon dung, that's what it counted for.

He'd reached the trophy room, and it was empty.

Instantly he was railing again. Maybe she'd lied. Maybe she just wanted to get him in trouble. Maybe she'd set up her little pureblood friends somewhere to catch him when he'd let his guard down…

"Ted?"

He turned around. There she was, dressed in a white and blue nightgown with a black cloak pulled over it, angelic. Why did she always have to look so damn beautiful? He'd been a goner from the start. And he was really starting to hate her for it.

"What, you don't recognize me? Forgotten who I am already?"

She stopped, looking shocked, and she even had the nerve to look a little hurt. "Ted—"

"Or maybe you were expecting someone else. Can't exactly be looking forward to seeing ugly old me when you've got pretty boy Rabastan hanging about."

Her shock deepened, like she couldn't believe he'd actually say that to her. Guess she gotten used to his nice guy routine, but that was gone.

"Have you slept with him yet? Hell, why I am asking. You probably went to his room right after the dance right? You know right after you threw me out? Guess I was right about being rubbish, wasn't I? And how was it, by the way? How was it having sex with—"

"Ted!" she screamed, cutting him off. "Will you shut up and listen for once?"

And he did, mostly because he was fuming too much to think clearly anyway.

She took a step forward, her mouth set into a firm line and her little hands clenched at her sides,

"Why did you kiss me?"

Ted couldn't help it, he laughed.

"That's your question?"

That only made her madder. "What the hell made you think you had the right to kiss me? Do you have any idea what damage you could've done?"

Ted stared at her, the dry laughter vanishing instantly. He'd never felt so furious in his life. A part of him wanted to reach forward and throttle her, and he ran his hands through his hair to keep from doing it.

"Why? 'Cause your boyfriend will find out and think you're two-timing him?" He stopped, pretending to look horrified. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No! Of course I didn't," she said, near shouting herself. "But do you understand what will happen if people find out what you did?"

"What?" He threw his hands in the air. "They'll kill you?"

Her eyes darkened. "No, they'll kill you." She closed her eyes, her voice constricting, "And then they'll kill me."

He snorted. "Your concern is touching."

And she was back, glaring. "Do you think this is a joke?"

"No, but apparently you do." He started pacing to keep himself from rushing forward and grabbing her. "How many people do you kiss in a week Andromeda? Do you and your sisters have a competition to see who gets the most?"

The color drained. She took a step forward, her fury stretching her pale skin tightly across her cheekbones.

"You. Kissed. Me." She spit out the words.

He stopped pacing. "You. Kissed. Me. Back."

She near exploding point. "You ever make a move like that on me again," she said, her eyes blazing, " I swear to god I'll—"

"You'll what?" Ted said, he couldn't help but notice the irony, as a few days ago they'd been having this same conversation, said these exact same words. But there was nothing amusing about it this time, and there was nothing forgiving in Andromeda now.

"Stay away from me Ted." Then she turned and stormed off.

He stared after her, and suddenly he hated everything about her. Which is why he lifted up his arms and shouted:

"I thought you were different, Andromeda, but you're just like the rest of them. At least they're honest about it."

She stopped, turning. Something told Ted he'd crossed a line, or more of a line that just kissing her and then being an ass about it. This time he was convinced she was going to kill him, or at least hex him from here to India. Her nostrils flared as she hissed:

"You don't know a damn thing about me, Ted."

He snarled at her. "Really, I—"

"No, you may know my favorite color, and my favorite animal, but you don't know a thing about me." She'd come back, so she was standing only a few inches from him, her voice trembling with fury. " You have no idea what it's like living with them, so stopped pretending like you know."

"You ever though that's because you won't talk to me?" He shouted that last part, leaning down into her face. She flinched away but he grabbed her wrist. " You just hide Andromeda, and you think if you just bury your head in the sand everything will turn out alright."

His words had struck home, "I hate you, Ted," She said, pulling away from him. He could see the tears pooling in her eyes, then her anger took over and she screamed, " I hate you! I swear to God I'll—"

"You'll what?" he said again.

She still didn't answer, but she didn't turn away. Instead she marched up to him. He thought she was going to slap him, but she didn't. Instead she placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. Hard.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited/reviewed this story, especially Dancing-Souls and Infernalbooks. Let me know what you think of the direction the stories taking.

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><p>It didn't matter that he'd expected her to slap him instead of kiss him. The second her lips were on his he opened up to meet them. His hands were around her neck, sliding up to her hair as he tangled his hands in it the way he'd always dreamed of doing. His other hand slid down her shoulder, toward her waist. She moaned underneath him and her hands shot up, running roughly through his hair as she arched up into him. Ted found himself almost growling with pleasure as his hand moved down to her lower back, pressing her hard against him. Their kiss, which had started out slow and longing, quickly deepened into something much, much more.<p>

Ted had seen the way she kissed Rabastan, but he doubted it had been anything like this. This, desperate. Like there was this raw hunger that neither could satisfy but they were going to damn well try. Ted didn't bother to think about what was happening, he couldn't. All he knew is that all he ever wanted was to kiss Andromeda like this, and keep kissing her until…

They heard a sharp rap behind them.

Andromeda pulled away, staring at him with wide, terror-filled eyes. They heard someone muttering, and they both knew exactly what that meant.

Filch.

Ted swore. Why did this have to happen now?

"He's coming." Andromeda looked like it was the hounds of hell coming and not the caretaker and his little kitten. But then, that cat was a piece of work. This one time it bawled at him just because he'd dragged a little too much mud in and then he'd had to make a run for it before…

Andromeda had started toward the door. That was no good. Filch was just on the other side of it. She was going to run straight into him. Ted seized her wrist. "This way," he said through the side of his mouth. They ran off toward a secluded corner of the trophy room and hid behind a couple of man-sized shields. Andromeda's clock had just whipped behind a corner when Filch came bursting into the room.

He looked around, almost like he was sniffing for something.

"Moved on, did they? But we definitely heard yells coming from here, didn't we, my sweet? A dueling game gone awry, perhaps?"

He and Andromeda must have sounded pretty damn angry, but there was no time to dwell on this, Mrs. Norris was coming their way.

Professor Filch had been installed as the caretaker in Ted's third year, and seemed to have a personal vendetta against all students. But he was kind of thick, so by now they knew how to out-smart him. But this year he'd shown up with a kitten, who possessed things filch didn't, like a superb sense of smell and the ability to see in the dark.

The kitten sniffed eagerly in their direction, her cat eyes glowing. Ted raised his wand but Andromeda grabbed his arm, shaking her head curtly. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help glaring at her. Did she have a better idea? He looked around for something to distract the cat with, but it turned out he didn't need it.

He heard a crash on the other side of the room. He looked behind him to see Andromeda with her wand raised, an almost smug look on her face. A small trophy was missing from the shelf next to them.

Looks like she did have a better idea. She caught him staring and gave him a sharp tap, jerking him into motion. The two of them raced forward just as Filch and the cat raced toward the source of the noise, though the cat moved somewhat hesitantly, still glaring in their direction.

"This way Mrs. Norris. Oh! Perhaps it is not students at all, perhaps it is Peeves up to his usual mischief!"

Ted looked over his shoulder just as Mrs. Norris looked over at them. Their eyes met. He was about to stick his tongue out at her when Andromeda grabbed his arm and dragged his arm roughly forward. Once again, it was a smart move, but he would never tell her that. The two of them raced through corridor and down the winding staircase, stopping only when they had reached a shadowy corner by the kitchens.

"Well," Ted said, after an insufferable silence broken only by their rasping breath, "that was close." Andromeda gave him a scathing look, opening her mouth to say something, but instead she closed it. She glanced over at him with wide eyes. His lips still felt warm, and his skin tingled where she'd touched him. He blushed, and she ducked her head, starting down the passageway that leads toward the dungeons.

"Andromeda!" He was surprised that it came out as a shout, but he didn't care. He grabbed her wrist, tugging her back. "No more, you are not running out on me again."

She stared at him with wide eyes as she tried to pull free, but to no avail. The nice thing about working on a ranch? It makes you tough. After a moment she gave up. Her eyes and mouth still looked fierce, but her shoulders slumped and her voice sounded dry and raspy, "What do you want me to do, Ted?"

His throat felt dry and his eyes wet, but he choked it back, "I want you to tell me what's going on, with you… with us."

She closed her eyes, her shoulders falling, "I don't know,"

"You don't know?" How could she still be playing this game? "Why'd you kiss me?"

"I don't know!" She screamed, renewing her attempts to pull free of his grasp.

"You don't know?" His voice dropped into a quiet, course whisper. "You don't kiss people like that unless you—"

"Unless you what?" Her voice quivered like she was choking back tears, but shefinally managed to pull her hand free.

He turned away, running his hands through his hair. "You're not making this very easy." He said that to the wall, not daring to look at her.

She was silent. Maybe she decided to leave, he thought, shuddering. But then, "Well, if you want to go out with me, you'd better get used to things not being very easy."

He froze. The words didn't register. He turns toward her, shock lining every little crease of his face. After everything that had happened tonight, everything he'd felt, he'd never even entertained the possibility. He'd never thought there was one. But Andromeda, she, she was saying…

She'd come to same conclusion. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. She turned, ready to flee, but his hand snaked around her wrist. He didn't even think about doing it, it just happened. She didn't fight him, she just stared. He didn't loosen his grip on her, but his hands gently caress the soft skin. His thumb rests on the inside of her wrist.

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><p>Andromeda couldn't breathe. Her blood raced toward her wrist almost like it was gravitating toward his touch. Her body's turned toward him as everything washed over her. Her words, her kiss. This was real, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the feeling of his hand on hers, the lingering heat on her lips, memories of the way her heart lifted every time she saw him, how he could make her laugh away her troubles…But she really thought about none of that, not consciously, her mind just reacted to what her body remembered.<p>

"We'll have to be really careful," she whispered, too scared to look him in the eye. "We won't be able to acknowledge each other around school at all, even when were surrounded by strangers..."

His hand moved up to her forearm, his grip firm but gentle. He took a step.

"I mean it, Ted," she said. Maybe because she was afraid he wasn't not listening, or maybe because she needed to distract herself from his proximity. "We have to keep it a secret. We can't tell anyone, not our friends, not our families…"

He moved even closer, his hand sliding up above her elbow. Her breath caught. "I just… are you sure this is what you want?"

He didn't answer, just grabbed her chin, slowly lifting it up to meet him. He leaned in and kissed her.

This kiss wasn't like the others they'd shared. It wasn't rough and reeking of desperation and pain, a desire to consume. This time his lips were gentle, caressing, like dove's wings.

"Yeah," he murmured into her cheek, having pulled away just long to look at her, really look at her. "I'm sure."

And then he kissed her some more.

After a few moments she finally pulled away, but didn't leave his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her cheek against his shoulder. Tears slipped down her face. Funny, she hadn't realized she was crying. But she was smiling too, through the tears. She couldn't have this, but she was taking it anyway.

"I, I have to go…" she whispered, not even sure he could hear her, but she felt the air rush through his chest like he was sighing.

She leaned back, and his arms slipped off. She couldn't look in those eyes, those beautiful, blue eyes. It was like falling, falling into a void a darkness she couldn't break out of.

"I, I'll see you…" Her sentence fell, unfinished. "Goodbye, Ted."

She didn't want to leave, and yet she wanted to run and keep on running until she fell off the edge of the earth. Instead she walked away, heading back toward the common room. She expected him to call after her, but he didn't. Good, he wouldn't see her face. Wouldn't see the tears falling down her cheeks like rain. Because now that his touch was gone reality set in. This was wrong. And what's more, it was dangerous. Really dangerous. They were playing with fire. There was no doubt: they will get burned.

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><p>Ted couldn't move as he watched Andromeda leave, and even after she left. He didn't want to leave himself, but getting caught by Filch, another teacher or, heaven forbid, a prefect, would be a rotten way to end the evening.<p>

He should be happy. Andromeda wants to go out with him! He'd been fantasizing about this moment for years, but he'd always pictured it differently. And he couldn't forget the way she walked away from him, like she was literally being ripped in half, like she still wasn't sure which half her heart was on. And the way her goodbye had sounded so final…

It wasn't the most promising start to a relationship, but it was something.


	13. Chapter 13

Andromeda moved sluggishly down the stairs. It was as if her legs were moving of their own accord, dragging her forward.

She felt like a worm had nestled in her heart and was slowly eating its way out. Her skin was on fire, yearning for him. She'd never thought lips could hurt, but hers seem too, and all she could think about was Ted. They'd kissed each other three times now, and each was swimming around her brain like a swarm of bees, or maybe butterflies. Especially the last one. If she concentrated really hard she could still taste it, the sweetness of it. Nothing had ever made her feel like that. Like she meant something, everything. She hadn't known what to think then, she hadn't been able to think until she'd gotten back to her dorm room. It was in those moments when she couldn't sleep, that she realized why she was both exuberant and terrified. She was in love with Ted Tonks. She loved that obnoxious, clumsy, bright-smiling, muggleborn.

And that's when the tears really began falling.

And now she was here. She yearned to be with him again, but the rest of her was screaming. She couldn't be with Ted Tonks. Just being seen talking with him had almost thrown her sister into hysterics. She was already under the careful scrutiny of her parents and her older sister. Right now she could only pray they never heard about her conversation with him, or they dismissed it. But if they knew she was seeing one, kissing one… She was worse than ruined. And Ted, Ted would be dead, if he was lucky. Her parents may not have been Death Eaters, but they were friends with some, she was fairly certain, and they would make sure he and his family were dealt with, brutally. This is what had become of the people she'd grown up with. She knew better than to hope for mercy. So why was she still entertaining fantasies of the two of them?

And there was Rabastan. Every time she thought of him she felt a stab of guilt, and a rush as she remembered his kiss.

She hadn't known him much growing up. She didn't associate with the other pureblood children before Hogwarts, with the exception of Sirius and her sisters, but she'd seen him. Over the years of Hogwarts, she'd watched him grown from a cheeky kid with fat cheeks to the smooth, practically god-like boy that now strutted down the halls. He'd been nice enough to her, but there'd always been something about him that unsettled her. Or maybe it was because there was a corner of her brain that wanted him, but she would never admit that. And then when he'd become her fiancé it was like facing some terrible nightmare and realizing you couldn't wake up. But the two times he'd sought her out, he'd seemed different. Not abounding in confidence, though he pretended he still was. But there was a vulnerability that hadn't been there before, and it had opened something inside her.

And the way he'd kissed her, she couldn't deny she'd felt something, but it was different than what she felt for Ted. Whereas Rabastan made her feel dizzy, Ted made her feel alive. Maybe that was the key, one made her feel weak, the other made her strong. And she'd been weak enough in her life.

She gritted her teeth. She didn't want to think about this, not right now, she needed time to...

"Andromeda."

She stopped, just before she'd reached the door to the common room. Her natural extinct was to stop when someone said her name, but never like this. There was only one person who could freeze her in place like that, knowing Andromeda would never dare ignore her.

Bellatrix.

Her sister was dressed in her usual black today, and her usual boyfriend. Bellatrix Black and Evan Rosier had been going out since the end of last year, a record for her sister who usually preferred not to engage in long lasting relationships. She didn't have patience for the clingy, slobbering boys who trailed after her like puppies and would lose interest in them after a few weeks. But she and Evan were hardly ever seen apart. Today her arm was around his neck and her leg sprawled across his hips as they huddled together on one of the larger couches of the common room. Evan's hand was on the bare skin of her leg, her long black dress pulled up just above her mid-thigh.

"Andromeda, come here."

She walked forward, not sure if she should sit on the couch or just stand. She chose standing, regardless, she didn't want to get any closer to them than she had too.

"What is it?" She tried to keep the strain out of her voice.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Do I need a reason to want to talk to my younger sister?"

Yes. "No, I just... you seem so serious, I thought maybe..."

"God Andromeda," Bella cut her off. "Quit blubbering, it's annoying."

Andromeda's head dropped, much like it did when her mother chastised her. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." Bella said a nasally voice, and Meda flinched. It was hard to believe Bella's imitations of her had once made her laugh.

Evan chose this moment to nuzzle her neck. This time Andromeda couldn't help it, she looked away. Bella and Evan were uncomfortably, grossly intimate in public. But who was going to tell Bellatrix Black what she could and couldn't do with her boyfriend? It was suicide.

"Though you're right, actually," Bella said. "There is something I need to speak to you about."

Cold dread washed over Andromeda, but she kept her voice steady as she replied, "Yes?"

"Not here," Bella untangled herself from Evan as she stood up. "Follow me."

Evan's eyes followed her. "Do you want me to come?"

"No," Bella said, barely glancing at him. "This is a family matter."

Evan glared at Meda, like he sincerely blamed her for stealing his girlfriend, but his eyes glimmered as he said, "My, my Meda, what did you do?"

A lot of things, actually, but hopefully Bella didn't know about most of them. If someone had seen them last night... but no, if Bella knew about any of that... she'd be able to tell, wouldn't she? It was clear from Bella's hard, cold mood that whatever she wanted to discuss, it wasn't the fashions in the latest issue of Witch's Weekly. But it wasn't the deathly calm that now came with her sister's murderous tirades either. But as much as Andromeda wanted to think she was safe, she didn't really know her sister anymore, not like she used to. She followed Bella out, trying not to feel like she was walking into the fiery pits of hell.

Bellatrix didn't stop to see if Andromeda was coming. It probably never occurred to her that Meda wouldn't. Meda didn't try to talk to her sister, not even to ask where they were going. The tense silence between them stifled any hope of conversation anyway.

She tried not to think about what was coming, but her body reacted for her. Blood rushing through her ears and her heart pounded. They reached the main floor, but then her sister turned and went up another staircase. Where could she be heading? It seemed Meda's panic was getting the best of her, as she kept getting this image of Bella leading her up to the tallest tower, calling her a traitor and throwing her over the edge. But after a few more flights she turned and headed into an empty classroom.

Meda let out a shaky breath as she followed her inside. Is this what she'd come to? Her sister wanted a word and she assumed Bella wanted to murder her? She never would've imagined feeling like that when she was young, but then, there were a lot of things she never would've imagined.

The classroom was damp and musty, and the pitch-black air carried a dreadful chill. Bella muttered a spell, lighting the gas lamps scattered around the rooms, but she did nothing to alleviate the cold, forcing Meda to draw her robes tighter around herself as she tried to ignore the feeling of dampness settling on her skin.

Her sister turned to face her, but didn't speak, eyeing Andromeda through dark-lidded eyes. Andromeda met her sister's gaze levelly. If she looked away, if she swallowed weirdly or even blinked too much, Bella would know something was up.

"I've been hearing things," she said finally. The words looked like they came from the lips of a statue.

Andromeda's arms were so tense they hurt. "Oh? From whom?" Her voice shook and she bit down on her lip, praying Bella hadn't noticed.

"Narcissa," she scarcely even blinked. "Among others."

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. Then this was clearly about her talking to Ted in front of the great hall, unless someone else had seen something. But wouldn't she mention those first, since they were more serious? Yes, she would, unless she was planning too...

"She said she saw you talking to a mudblood, is this true?"

Andromeda bit her lip, sweat lining her brow. This wasn't the time to lie, but she could scarcely utter her response.

"Yes."

Bella's eyes flashed darkly as she took another step forward. "And this was the same mudblood Amycus was complaining about, the one who didn't know how to keep his dirty mouth closed?"

Something told her this wasn't really a question. Bella was gauging her reaction, and Meda couldn't give her any reason to suspect something was up.

"Why were you talking to him?" Bella asked finally.

"Well, I—"

"Did he threaten you?" Her sister's voice was still strangely quiet and calm; she wasn't even looking at her sister really, but staring at some vague point behind in the distance. But, if anything, this only heightened Andromeda's sense of foreboding. The storm was coming, she could feel it. "Amycus indicated his behavior was rough."

"No." She still couldn't lie, not like this.

"Did he threaten someone else? Narcissa, perhaps?"

"No."

"Did he hex you? Or place the imperius curse on you? Because I'm running out of logical explanations." Spit flew from her mouth as she said this, clearly having reached the point she'd been trying to make from the beginning.

If this was what Bella thought it took for her to talk to a mudblood, or muggleborn, it was a damn good thing she didn't know about the other stuff Meda had been doing.

She didn't want to answer, but her sister was clearly waiting for something. She sighed, letting some of her fear slip into her voice and choke up her voice. It never hurt to sound broken.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't anything, I promise—"

Bella reached forward and grabbed both of Andromeda's shoulders, forcing her sister to look her in the eye. Her eyes were like firestorms, but her voice was the low rolling of thunder that followed the lightning.

"Have you seen him since then?"

Andromeda barely blinked, her eyes never leaving Bella's. "Never."

And for the first time in their conversation, Bellatrix visibly relaxed. Andromeda couldn't help but feel relieved herself. She'd made it, Bellatrix had believed her, and now all that was left was too...

"How dare you be seen with him?" Bella snarled as she walked around her. "Do you have any idea what implications this puts on our family?"

"It was just a homework question." Andromeda stammered, the choking, almost desperate tone finding its way into her vocals again. "It wasn't—"

"Then don't go to a mudblood!" Bella screamed, chest heavy and eyes blazing with an almost insane glint. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about you; this is about us, all of us. The Black family has been an example of pureblood nobility for generations. We are the most powerful family, and we can't afford to let that crumble. It's bad enough that Sirius is in cohorts with that bloody mudblood lover, I can't have people thinking my own sister is a blood traitor too!"

Andromeda took a step back, head dropping and eyes closing as she prayed for this to be over, but it wasn't.

"It was one mistake, Bella, just one."

But it had been one mistake too many.

"One?" Bella's nostrils flared and her shoulders rippled as she stared at Andromeda with so much disgust it was almost crippling. "I'm still trying to clean up your last mistake."

Andromeda flinched, and her voice cracked. "It won't happen again."

"Our family honor depends on it, Meda." She looked off into the dark distance again. "Especially now that you are bethrothed."

And there it was. It seemed like it followed her wherever she went, every time she turned someone, something brought it up. It was like running from a very persistent bludger. And Ted, she was… she was seeing someone behind her fiancé's back. She was seeing a muggleborn behind his back. That was the very definition of dishonor, but she couldn't stop, not when he made her feel the way she did. She glanced at her sister. She couldn't tell her about Ted, but she wanted to tell explain her fears, her uncertainties about the wedding. She couldn't tell Narcissa, she was too excited about the whole ordeal. It would crush her. But Bella, she would understand, wouldn't she? She'd always been so strong and independent…

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Andromeda jolted. Her sister must've read something on her face.

"Not exactly, I'm not sure I'm ready for this…" she struggled to find words that wouldn't make her sound like she was willfully considering going against her parents' wishes, "I'm not sure it's what I want."

"What did I just bloody tell you!" Bella hissed. "It's not about you and what you want. Marriage has never been about that. It's about bringing honor to your family."

"I know." Andromeda stepped back. "It's just, I don't know if it's it righ—

"Andromeda, listen to me." She grabbed Meda's shoulders again. Her anger wasn't blazing from her like had been before, but there was that same sense of desperation, like breathing in a bittersweet herb.

"You never repeat any of this to anyone. Do you hear me? Never."

She stepped back, breaking her sister's grasp. There'd been a time when she'd told her sister everything, no matter how crazy or silly it seemed. She'd listen, she wasn't always polite, in fact most of the time she wasn't. But she listened. No matter what Sirius said about her she'd never dreamed that Bella could be anything than her older sister, best friend, forever. But that door had now closed, and she wasn't sure there was a way she could open it.

"Of course not, I'm sorry I even thought to speak of it." She paused, fighting the weariness as she said the words she knew her sister needed to hear. "You're right." Then she turned her back, afraid she was going to start crying, and Bella would see her.

"Andromeda, wait." She froze, before slowly turning around, hardly daring to believe it. There was hesitation in her sisters voice, doubt in her eyes. Her sister never doubted. She never second-guessed anything. She never had any regrets. But here she was, looking like she was willing to try. It was just a simple look in her eye and yet the whole world suddenly seemed so different to Andromeda. It was like that door creaked back open, just enough for a sliver of light to escape through.

"There's something I wanted to tell you."

Andromeda felt something lift insider, a new kind of anxiety settling in, but she kept her voice calm as she replied, "Yes?"

Her sister hesitated. Then she sighed, her hand grasping the end of her sleeve as she pulled her shirt up.

Was Bella injured, or something? Meda found herself instinctively reaching for her sister's arm.

The door banged open and a couple stumbled in, their hair tousled and their arms wrapped around each other. They were so busy snogging they didn't notice the Black sisters. Meda recognized the girl instantly; it was Gwenog Jones, star and captain of the Ravenclaw quidditch team. She turned, not blushing the way Andromeda would've; but smirking and tossing her long golden hair out of her eyes.

"Sorry mates, I—"She stopped talking, realizing who it was they had fallen in on. The boy straightened behind her, shoulders tense and eyes narrowing. Meda recognized him now, he was Cardaroc Dearbourn, a fellow sixth year. What's more, he was a Gryffindor, and a muggleborn, one who fought back.

Andromeda's pulse raced as she prayed Bella would let this one slide, just this once. Bella whipped her sleeve down, looking positively feral and almost, well, if Andromeda didn't know her better she would've thought, fearful. But Bella wasn't scared of anything, was she?

Bella's lip curled and she whipped out her wand, stalking forward.

"You'd stick your tongue down that, Jones? Guess you really do boink any boy that breathes, don't you?"

"You're one to talk," Gwen snorted.

Bella pulled her wand.

Cardaroc moved in front of Gwen. "Watch it, Black,"

"Mind your tongue, slug." Bella turned on him; her nose looking curved like the most disgusting thing in the world was in front of her. "Maybe you'd like a visual representation of what you're really snogging, wouldn't you, Jones?"

"Make one move and I swear I'll—"Cardaroc began, but Bella ignored him the way one ignored an annoying dog.

"Careful." Gwen smiled, pulling out her own wand. "Wouldn't want to mess up that pretty face."

"Bella," Meda grabbed her sister's arms as she raised her wand even higher, "It's not worth it, alright?"

Bella shook her off, but Gwenog was already backing towards the door, "Come on, Daroc, let's go." The two of them glared at Bella as they left, and Cardaroc briefly glanced at Andromeda. His look was by no means friendly, it was almost wary, like he was trying to figure her out. But a moment later Gwenog shut the door and they were gone.

"Bella," Meda started, when her sister still hadn't said anything, still wouldn't look at her. "Bella listen to me. I had too."

"How did you become so weak?" she burst out, pulling out of her sister's reach. "You were raised better."

Meda stopped reaching for her sister, feeling suddenly feeble and useless.

"You know what you are?" Bella laughed humorlessly. "Pathetic, and that's all you're ever going to be."

Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The almost earsplitting crack hit Andromeda like a stone wall. She stood in silence for a moment, the shock rendering her motionless. Tears began to fall, but she didn't notice, almost like she couldn't process them. She would've stayed there for a long time, all day maybe, but that wasn't a choice. She had classes today. She didn't want to make a habit of being late, or, heaven forbid, missing classes.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're staring at Andromeda again."

"Am I?" Ted said, distracted, then he quickly looked away. "I mean, no I'm not."

Olivia's snorted. Ted sighed. He hadn't slept last night, and he was exhausted. He'd cycled through everything that had happened between him and Andromeda, finally ending on the kiss they'd shared, her promise that they could be together. He'd let himself drift on that thought, but then the image of what she'd looked like when she left, all distraught and conflicted, and what it meant to be dating a Black came swirling back and suddenly he was hyperventilating and then the whole process started all over again.

He'd dressed quickly and run down to the Entrance Hall, waiting for her to come up from the dungeons to breakfast, but she never did. He'd checked their spot by the lake but she wasn't there either. He didn't feel right eating there without her so he'd been forced to actually eat at his house table, all the while casting sidelong glances at the Slytherin table and earning himself a few nasty stares from the students there, but she'd never shown. He'd practically run to Charms, knowing he'd see her then, but she'd completely ignored him. She'd sat in the far corner, opposite of him, and never even glanced in his direction no matter how many times he tried to get her attention.

He'd thought about trying to catch her between classes, but something about her attitude made him hesitant. Or maybe he was just bitter. If she was going to ignore him he was going to ignore her. Hadn't exactly worked out though, even in the foggy potions classroom she was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen, and he longed to push those beautiful curls behind her eyes and have her look up and smile at him the way she done before things had gotten—complicated.

"Can't exactly blame him," Jake said. "She is hot." Ted smirked at how closely Jake's thoughts mirrored his own, except he never would refer to Andromeda as merely, hot.

"And taken," Olivia added. "I heard she was going out with Rabastan."

Lorie sighed. "I hate her already." She lifted her head from where she was sprawled out on the desk and added; "You sure they're going out? I heard they were just hooking up."

Jake made a face at Ted over his cauldron, which Ted did not reciprocate. Normally they wouldn't be able to get away with talking like this while Slughorn was here, but he'd come down with something and asked Flitwick to fill in for him. That had been a joke. Flitwick had set them on one of the simplest potions in the book and they'd all finished with 15 minutes and started going a bit wild. He'd tried to get them to study, but after a while he'd just given in, so they were enjoying the first free period they'd had since third year.

"Why do you care so much?" Ted said, glaring at Lorie. It wasn't really her fault he was so edgy, but he wasn't exactly eager to discuss what may or may not be going on between Meda and Rabastan. It made him feel like his insides were on fire.

"Because he's fit." Olivia put in, like it was obvious.

Lorie sighed again. "They all are. Why do the Slytherin boys have to be so damn sexy?"

Now this was really too much for Ted. "First, I'm sexier," Olivia rolled her eyes, "and second, he's an asshole."

"Didn't he call you a mudblood the other day?" Jake said.

"Yep," Ted said, leaning back on his chair.

"Why?" Olivia asked, almost sounding like she didn't want to hear the answer.

"'Cause I freakin' ran into him while he was freakin' making out with his stupid girlfriend."

"Andromeda?" Lorie asked, sounding uncharacteristically gleeful about this, especially when she had just professed to hate the girl.

"Was it an accident?" Olivia said.

"Yes," Ted replied, a little too quickly.

Olivia smirked, looking like a fox about to catch the rabbit in her trap. "Are you sure?"

"Didn't you partner up with her one day?" Lorie said, feeding into what Olivia was doing.

"He did." Olivia said, her eyes flashing.

"Yeah, he made me partner up with Susannah, so she'd be forced to partner up with him." Jake said. Ted gave him his best murderous stare. Jake had promised he'd never repeat that, and he'd completely sold Ted out, left him to Liv's and Lorie's mercy. This betrayal ran deep.

"Why?" Lorie asked, her voice breathless, like she could barely wait to hear the answer.

Ted had been backed into a corner. He was still glaring at Jake as he said, "'Cause she ran into me in the hall and then freaked out when I touched her skin handing her books back. We had unfinished business."

"Uh-huh," was Olivia's only response. Ted gave her a sharp look. In addition to being her former boyfriend, they'd also been best friends since first year. He knew her well enough to know she was holding something back. She wasn't a blabbermouth like Lorie, but she spoke her mind, always. She looked up at him and he bit his lip, swallowing. He hated the way she'd always been able to look right through him. This wasn't the end of this conversation, that much was clear.

"Isn't that the day you got in that row with Amycus?" Jake's question startled both him and Olivia out of their moment, for which Ted was grateful.

"Yep," he said, not really in the mood for any more lengthy explanations.

"God Ted." Liv groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Why do you have to go around antagonizing them all the time?"

"'Cause they're pricks who deserve antagonizing."

"Can we get back on track?" Lorie asked. " We were discussing whether or not miss prissy was with Rabastan or not?"

Oh god, not again. "Didn't we establish they were bastards?" Ted said, venom saturating his words. "They hex people for fun, Lorie."

"And there's something about that whole bad boy complex that just gets me jittery inside," She smirked. "Rodolphus too."

Ted rolled his eyes, not sure how much more of this he could take. He glanced around the room. He dared not look at Meda again, even though his body was screaming for it. His eyes wandered over to another Hufflepuff girl, Teresa, who happened to look up at this particular moment. He made a face at her and she grinned appreciatively before returning to her group of friends. Teresa sometimes hung out with them, but lately she'd been spending a lot of time with Susannah. Teresa was the queen of sweet people, but that was kind of her fault too. She hung out with whoever needed a friend the most, and once she'd built them back up, she moved on to someone else. She'd been there for Lorie when her brother had gotten cancer, and now she was there for Susannah. Ted couldn't help but wonder if she was on this ridiculous Rabastan hype or not. He hoped not, otherwise he really would gorge his eyes out.

"You realize," Jake said, turning toward Lorie, "that if you ended up with either or them they will tear off your breasts, roast them, and season them with your entrails?"

Ted and Liv exchanged glances at this, lips tight and eyebrows raised, but Lorie merely exhaled wistfully. "I know, that's part of what makes them so sexy."

Ted glanced at Liv, who merely rolled her eyes and looked away. He held back a snort, but he also couldn't help staring curiously after her. He figured Liv wasn't stupid enough to moon over Rabastan, or any like him, but she had called him fit earlier. And he'd heard her giggling with the other Hufflepuff girls about him when they thought the guys weren't listening. Something about that made him uncomfortable. He couldn't stomach the image of Liv and Rabastan together any more than he could stomach Meda with him. What did that say about him? She was his ex-girlfriend, and he'd only dated her about six months. He hadn't thought about her that way in a long time, but still… Maybe he was just protective. Any guy would be of his best friend right? That better be it. His love life was complicated enough as is. And speaking of his love life…

The bell rung, and the students around him picked up their bags. And who was making a beeline for the door? None other than the mysterious Andromeda.

"Hey, I'll catch you guys later," he muttered, shoving his books into his bag. Screw his 'you ignore me, I'll ignore you' game, she wasn't sneaking away from him again today.

Ted almost knocked over a few students in his haste to get to Andromeda, including a few Slytherins, who hissed as he sped past them.

He finally caught Andromeda just before she'd reached the staircase.

"Hey," he said, reaching for her shoulder, but she whipped out of his reach and stood to face him, looking mutinous, or maybe murderous. She shook her head briskly as she backed away from him. He retracted his hands, trying to stifle the lump that was developing in his throat. She cocked her head sharply to the side twice before taking off down the stairs. She'd almost reached the bottom when he realized she wanted him to follow her. He did, muttering under his breath. What the hell was she doing? This had been her idea in the first place, he hadn't even asked her. The fact that he wanted too was beside the point.

Finally she led him to some random empty room. He'd never appreciated how Hogwarts had so many of them, but they seemed to be saving his butt lately. Except this one was barely bigger than a broom closet, which sucked, until he realized how close it forced Andromeda to be to him and it became his best friend.

Not that she was in the mood to snog, she looked like he'd just tracked dog poop over her new Turkish rug. But she wasn't the only one; he had his own score to settle.

"So are you done pretending I don't exist? Or are you just taking a break?"

But Andromeda wasn't listening.

"What the hell are you thinking, Ted?" She hissed, spit flying. "You can't talk to me in public like that."

"Ted?" he repeated, "Huh, so you actually did remember my name, I wasn't so sure."

Her mouth closed abruptly, audibly, as she closed her eyes shook her head and said through clenched teeth, "Ted—"

"I was beginning to think that I had actually turned invisible, only everyone else could see me so I knew that wasn't the case."

This wasn't how he'd pictured their reunion. There was no, 'whoopee, we finally get to be together.' But now that he was in stride, he just couldn't stop.

"Ted I—"

"Do you make a habit of this? Kissing guys and then ignoring their existence, 'cause it's kind of like the kid version of a one night—"

"Damn it, Ted!" She screamed, forcing him to be silent. "Why can't you just listen for once?"

He took a step back, feeling strangely small and skinny. "I'm sorry." He apologized, for the first time. What had she done to him? He'd never apologized for anything before in his life. But she was right.

Andromeda seem to relax a little, the tightness had disappeared from her shoulders and neck and she no longer looked like a hungry bear about to demolish him.

"No, I'm sorry, I just… I really want this to work."

"Yeah," Ted chuckled nervously, glad that she seemed to have forgiven him so quickly. "Me too."

A stiff silence fell between them. Ted smacked his lips together as he tried to keep from staring at Andromeda's mouth. He was painfully, agonizingly aware of her proximity. It was impossible, but he swore he could feel the heat coming off her skin. She blushed under his stare, opening his lips to say something but instead looked away from him, focusing on his chest.

He folded his arms around his chest because he couldn't stand the emptiness. He wanted, needed to wrap her in his arms. Assure him that this was real, really real. Andromeda Black was his, all his…

"What's going on between you and Rabastan?"

He'd asked her this once before and she'd refused to answer, but everything Liv and Lorie had said was burning around inside him. And as much as he wanted to hold on to his own moments with Andromeda, he couldn't get her kiss with Rabastan out of his head, couldn't forget the way she'd melted into him. Huh, imagine that. He couldn't forget the worst moment of his life.

Andromeda sighed, taking a step away from him. "It's… difficult to explain."

That was not what he wanted to hear. 'difficult to explain' was synonymous for 'complicated,' and no guy wanted to hear that about the guy his girlfriend made out with. Ughh... even in his head it sounded horrible.

"Try." He ran his hands roughly over his own elbows to keep from reaching out and grabbing something and shaking it, mostly likely Andromeda.

"We're…" she seemed to be struggling to find words, "our parents want us to be together, and Rabastan at least is trying to appease their wishes."

Ted raised his eyebrows. Her story made sense, but it seemed like there was something she wasn't telling him. Uncharacteristically he decided not to pursue it.

"And you're not?" he asked instead.

She gave him a scathing look, well, have scathing, half…

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He smirked, he couldn't help it. "You sure are."

And just like that, they were right back where'd they started, unconsciously leaning in, lips softening as they closed the distance…

"So what are you going to do about it, Rabastan I mean?"

_Ted you idiot!_ His mind seemed to scream as Andromeda leaned back, looking flustered. What the hell are you thinking? He couldn't help but agree with his mind, he had the worst timing. But he couldn't just let this go. Regardless of what Andromeda said or did Rabastan was always there, like an overly attractive dung beetle Ted wanted to squish with his feet but couldn't, at least, not yet.

"I… I'll end things, but I can't do it right away." She sounded pleading, her eyes wide, "It'll take time. Is that… is that all right?"

No. Of course it wasn't. It wasn't anywhere near all right, but he wasn't going to fight her on it, not anymore. Maybe he was too tired, tired of waiting more like, Andromeda was so damn close…

"I… I need to go, I promised—Narcissa I would meet her for lunch. But I'll… meet me in our spot. All right? Midnight."

Ted was still stuck on the leaving part, but maybe it was best. He needed time to think this all over. "All right."

"All right," she said again, blushing. She turned to leave, and then hesitated, her shoulders rising and falling. Then before he had time to blink she whirled around, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. He met her warm, brown eyes before she left, the door clanging loudly behind her.


End file.
